This document summarizes research conducted to understand current knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward health and safety management in laboratories at third-level colleges. Questionnaires were distributed to students and staff to assess safety knowledge, training, and attitudes. Laboratory audits were also conducted. The results showed that while health and safety practices are in place, they may not be utilized fully in management. There appears to be a gap between communicated safety information and how students and staff interpret and apply it, which could influence attitudes and practices regarding laboratory safety. The goal is to improve safety procedures and promote positive safety cultures for future generations.

1. Abstract
Health and Safety in laboratories is constantly being highlighted. Improvements in
communicative technology such as the world-wide web have enabled vast amounts of Health
and Safety information to be communicated to businesses. With vast amounts of information
persistently being updated and provided to employers and employees the topic of laboratory
Health and Safety is difficult to ignore. Although this information is easily accessible for
management within 3rd
level colleges and institutions, laboratory health and safety procedures
are not being utilised enough as part of a health and safety management system. The attitudes
of staff and students towards laboratory health and safety need to improve and a positive
approach towards laboratory health and safety should be adopted for future generations in
order to overcome this problem.
This research was carried out to obtain a clearer understanding of the current knowledge,
attitudes and behaviours of staff and students towards Health and Safety management in the
laboratories and to view current laboratory Health and safety practises in place in 3rd
level
education. To obtain this information as part of the study, Questionnaires were distributed
amongst students and staffs in colleges and audits in the laboratories were conducted. The
questions were designed to assess laboratory Health and Safety knowledge, knowledge of
presence of Health and Safety management committee, student and staff training, availability
of Health and Safety information in the lab, behavioural attitudes and opinionated analysis.
The use of abstract questioning in student surveys allowed for generation of cross tabulation
analysis to assess student engagement in surveys. The cross tabulate data proved that students
awareness of laboratory health and Safety increases as they progress through their course of
studies.
Further objectives of this study were achieved by consultations with college staff to
investigate current challenges in laboratories and by reviewing content and effectiveness of
Health and Safety information in the laboratories. Laboratory auditing was conducted with
the assistance of a Health and Safety checklist.
The outcome of this study proved that laboratory health and safety management practises are
in place in all of the 3rd
level colleges assessed but the results might be indicator that these
practises not being exercised enough in health and safety management. There also seems to
be a gap between health and safety information communication and interpretation of this
information by students and staff in 3rd
level education which could be an influence on
development of attitudes and behavioural practises towards Health and Safety in laboratories.