Chemical safety and security : laboratory personnel views

Abstract

Although chemical safety and security fall under chemical risk management, research has shown that knowledge about chemical safety is more prevalent at post-secondary institutions than chemical security knowledge. Knowledge about chemical safety and security is essential because chemical safety protects students and workers from chemical hazards, whereas chemical security prevents the misuse of chemicals. This qualitative study aimed to learn more about laboratory personnel's views regarding their laboratories' chemical safety and security practices. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews probing the ten laboratory personnel's beliefs, knowledge, and understanding of chemical safety and security practices employed in their laboratories were conducted. Narratology was used as a theoretical framework whereas thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The study's findings revealed that, although the laboratory personnel were familiar with the term chemical safety, most of them did not know about the term chemical security, emerging as a reason for concern. It was through the current study that personnel were for the first-time hearing about the term chemical security. Furthermore, regarding chemical safety and security practices, laboratory personnel prioritise limited access to laboratories and the proper handling of chemicals. Emerging from the findings was the personnel’s need for detailed training workshops concentrating on both chemical safety and security, emphasising the need for mandatory attendance of these workshops by laboratory demonstrators to improve chemical safety and security practices in these spaces. The findings revealed laboratory personnel’s knowledge gaps regarding chemical security. Providing training workshops concentrating on both chemical safety and security will aid in the awareness and literacy of chemical safety and security amongst laboratory personnel who are critical and yet a hidden profession in these spaces of learning and research.