Enhancement of Safety Standards in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratories of the Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, under ESPReL Standard

Abstract

          This research has the following objectives: 1) to assess and explore the safety management practices in analytical chemistry laboratories; and 2) to develop the analytical chemistry laboratories for enhancements of safety practices in Research Laboratory in Thailand (ESPReL). The data collectors and evaluators include scientists, laboratory personnel, engineers, and technicians, totaling nine individuals. The assessment is based on the ESPReL Checklist, which comprises seven components related to laboratory safety: 1) Safety management system; 2) Chemical management system; 3) Waste management system; 4) Physical characteristics of the laboratory, equipment, and tools; 5) Hazard prevention and response system; 6) Basic safety knowledge dissemination in the laboratory; and 7) Data and document management. The study found that the overall safety level increased by 21.1% and 24.8% after the first and second rounds of improvements, respectively. When considering individual components, Components 6 and 7 achieved a 100% increase in safety levels according to the ESPReL standards after the improvements, compared to pre-improvement levels of 59.3 and 53.6%, respectively. Component 4 showed no change before and after improvements, with safety levels at 98.5%. For Components 2, 1, 3, and 5, the safety levels in the second assessment were 94.1, 93.3, 92.7, and 92.0%, respectively, showing increases of 11.8, 14.3, 9.7, and 21.6%, respectively, compared to pre-improvement levels.