Safety Climate and Practices in University Laboratories: Evidence from a Ghanaian Case Study

Abstract

Academic laboratories in developing countries face numerous occupational health and safety (OHS) challenges due to limited resources, diverse hazards, and often underdeveloped safety systems. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety climate, occupational health and safety (OHS) knowledge, attitudes, and practices of laboratory workers in academic laboratories at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. This cross-sectional study used the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50), a standard questionnaire, direct workplace observations, and a decision matrix risk assessment to identify and evaluate hazards. The study was conducted in academic laboratories across three colleges at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The study included 104 laboratory staff members with at least one year of work experience in laboratory settings. Participants demonstrated high knowledge of OHS (mean score: 12.94 ± 2.76) and awareness (12.42 ± 2.39), but poor safety practices (12.06 ± 4.48) and inconsistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The overall safety climate score was low (2.45 ± 0.71), with management's safety commitment and justice rated poorly. Observations revealed inadequate PPE availability, lack of ergonomic infrastructure, and absence of incident reporting systems. High-risk hazards, including chemical inhalation, musculoskeletal injuries, and chemical splashes, were identified with risk scores of 20 each. The findings reveal significant gaps between OHS knowledge and safety practices in academic laboratories. These gaps highlight the need for improved resource allocation, stronger management engagement, enhanced safety training, and the establishment of dedicated OHS units to foster safer working environments and promote a robust safety culture in academic institutions.