Laboratory Safety Awareness Among General Physics Undergraduate Students

Authors

  • C. O. Ponferrada Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines
  • J. G. Daque Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines
  • D. C. L. Buadlart Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines
  • E. J. L. Cabigon Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines
  • V. R. K. R. Galarpe Environmental Science & Technology/Physics Dpt, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), Philippines
Volume: 7 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 2324-2327 | December 2017 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.1632

Abstract

Safety awareness in the laboratory is essential to reduce occupational risks. This study was conducted to determine the students’ safety awareness in a Physics laboratory. This study determined the student perception towards safety awareness by factors of gender and college from which students are enrolled. A sum of 324 students enrolled in Physics10 (Mechanics and Heat) and Physics11 (Electricity and Magnetism) in the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) were randomly selected as survey respondents. A modified survey questionnaire was used as research instrument. The results show that the students had positive level of safety awareness and perceived positively on the preventive measures to reduce laboratory risk. Further, regardless of gender students enrolled in Physics 10 were more positively aware towards safety awareness than students enrolled in Physics 11. Similarly, a variation among the students perception towards safety awareness from the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) and College of Industrial and Information Technology (CIIT) occurred. Overall, present findings indicate a need to introduce laboratory safety awareness in Physics classes.

Keywords:

Physics laboratory, safety awareness, preventive measures

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

A. O. Udoh, “Status of Safety Awareness among Senior Secondary School Science Students in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria”, Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 275-279, 2013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n2p275

B. D. Backus, K. Fivizzani, T. Goodwin, D. Finster, E. Austin, W. Doub, S. D. Wiediger, S. Kinsley, “Laboratory safety culture: Summary of the chemical education research and practice – Safety in chemistry education panel discussion at the 46th Midwest and 39th Great Lakes Joint Regional American Chemical Society Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, on October 21, 2011”, In Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 20-24, 2012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2012.02.001

R. Artdej, “Investigating undergraduate students’ scientific understanding of laboratory safety”, Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 46, pp. 5058-5062, 2012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.385

V. R. K. R Galarpe, N. C. Lamela, R. Alcantara, “Preliminary evaluation of laboratory practices in Cebu Doctors’ University, Philippines”, Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 25-30, 2013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2013.03.490

M. A. Balkhiour, “Evaluation of the Safety Status in Some University Laboratories”, Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land Agriculture Sciences, Vol. 22, No.1, 2011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4197/met.22-1.14

M. M. Uy, “The status of chemical safety and security in Universities in Mindanao, Philippines”, Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 8-14, 2011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2011.06.002

I. Miliszewska, E. M. Sztendur, “Playing it Safe: Approaching Science Safety Awareness through Computer Game-Based Training”, Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, Vol. 8, pp. 37-47, 2011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.28945/1403

M Abbas, A. M. Zakaria, M. A. Balkhyour, M. Kashif, “Chemical Safety in Academic Laboratories: An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Safe Work Practices & Facilities in a University”, Journal of Safety Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1-14, 2016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/jss.v2i1.8962

M. Richards-Babb, J. Bishoff, J. S. Carver, K. Fisher, J. Robertson-Honecker, “Keeping it safe: Chemical safety in the high school laboratory”, Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 6-14, 2010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2009.05.001

D. Mogopodi, B. Paphane, S. Petros, “Assessment of chemical management practices and safety in junior secondary school laboratories in Gaborone”, Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, Vol. 22, No. 5, pp. 17-27, 2015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2015.01.001

American Chemical Society, Creating Safety Cultures in Academic Institutions, American Chemical Society, 2012

Downloads

How to Cite

[1]
C. O. Ponferrada, J. G. Daque, D. C. L. Buadlart, E. J. L. Cabigon, and V. R. K. R. Galarpe, “Laboratory Safety Awareness Among General Physics Undergraduate Students”, Eng. Technol. Appl. Sci. Res., vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 2324–2327, Dec. 2017.

Metrics

Abstract Views: 1935
PDF Downloads: 602

Metrics Information

Most read articles by the same author(s)