Analysis of level of comprehension of hazard signs in science lessons: A case for Ghana

Laboratory safety is necessary to ensure the safety of all laboratory users. It is also to ensure that users do not harbour fears of uneventful circumstances so that they all work freely for optimum results. The study investigated the understanding of Ghanaian first year university chemistry teacher trainees’ understanding of safety rules, symbols and colour codes which go to create a safe work environment. Data was purposively collected from 111 undergraduate chemistry teacher trainees. The findings indicated that only 31% of trainees understood the safety rules. About 45% successfully interpreted the safety symbols. However, only one-tenth interpreted both rules and symbols correctly which is too small a quota to let go without remediation. A semi-structured interview suggested that trainees hardly paid attention to warning symbols during experimental processes. These findings intimate that teachers will have to make the teaching of warning symbols and laboratory rules an introductory part of their laboratory instruction curriculum.