Risk evaluation and management in Laboratories of universities: (A survey study of Jordanian unive
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- Category: Management Programm
- Published: Sunday, 28 February 2016 02:00
- Written by اسيا القرالة
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Abstract
Risk evaluation and management in laboratories of universities:
(A survey study of Jordanian universities)
Assia Abdelsalam Algaralleh
Mutah University 2014
Risk evaluation and management are integral part of performing occupational health and safety. They serve to identify and evaluate risks derived from hazards, and lead to appropriate actions for reducing or eliminating those risks. Applying risk management to academic laboratories protects laboratory workers health, improves quality of learning process and enhances the performance of laboratories. This study aims at evaluating and proposing risk management within academic laboratories in Jordanian universities.
Risk evaluation was performed through descriptive analytical method. In order to survey risks and collect the necessary data, a carefully designed questionnaire was prepared. The questionnaire involved four domains that comprised of 38 questions. These domain were related to; general risk-related questions, the commitment of university administration to the application of risk management policy, laboratories workers training on occupational health and safety procedures, and the implementation of health and safety precautions. The study community was laboratory workers in Jordanian universities. A stratified random sample had been used in the collection of data. The size of the sample was 445 persons with 90% recovery out of those who participated in the study. This recovery sufficed the purposes of analysis and study.
Reliability and validity study results showed that Cronbach Alpha coefficient was high. Its value for the total domain was 0.93 indicating that the surveying instrument was considered reliable for the study. Results of statistical analysis indicated that the level of the commitment of university administration to the application of risk management policies was low with a mean of 2.32 on Likert scale. This level was also confirmed by the lack in the implementation of health and safety precautions which had a moderate to low level with a mean of 2.36 on Likert scale. Also, results showed that, workers did not receive adequate training to manage risks that they may exposed to. However, indications showed that there was considerable hazard awareness among workers.
The study recommended that universities need to develop a risk management and safety protocol that include: chemical hygiene plan, inspection, safety rules, management of hazardous material and facility, training and emergency. There was an essential need to establish risk management and safety department in all institution with it proper laws and legislations.