BACKGROUND
Safety culture has been defined as “the assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organisations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, protection and safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance[].” In the past few years, cultural changes have raised awareness of the importance of health and safety and the need to eliminate dangerous circumstances and prevent accidents. Safety is the method of preventing accidents or minimizing potential personal injuries or property damage[]. In recent years, accidents in schools have been reported more frequently. In one incident, nine students suffocated due to an insecticide that was used in a private school in Sharjah[]. Another documented accident was the death of a 12-year-old student who was run over by her school bus driver in front of her house in Ajman[]. A student in a government school in Ras Al Khaimah who fell from the second floor of the school building, fracturing his skull and spine[].
Most parents believe that school is a safe and secure environment for their children. Students, teachers, and other staff members spend a lot of time in school, where they are exposed to a range of risks and hazards through physical and social activities. This has caused schools to become one of the largest occupational workplace categories. Students attend school for 6 h per day for 180 days in the school year. Their lives can be negatively affected if safety is not a priority[]. A study was conducted in Saudi Arabia to develop an empirically comprehensive safety performance evaluation framework for schools with the aim of evaluating the leading and lagging indicators of safety performance in public schools[].
The safe behavior of students and teachers, as well as the wisdom of school administration, significantly decreased the number of accidents that occurred during student movements within school facilities. The findings of the study included safety management and leadership, safety learning and training, safety policies, procedures and processes, workforce safety culture, and safety performance in the safety performance evaluation framework developed for Saudi schools. Conversations about implementing a Safety Management System for Saudi schools became more prominent after 15 girls died from smoke inhalation in a fire at a girls’ school in 2002[].
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), represented by the Ministry of Education, has developed the first unified framework of environmental, health, and occupational safety management system standards for the education sector, including all public and private schools, and universities, nurseries, kindergartens, institutes, and colleges. The ministry expects the adaptation of this system to achieve optimal risk management for employees, administrative and educational bodies, students, and other suppliers, to reduce and control risks to ensure safety, and to protect and sustain the environment during normal operations or emergencies[].
Safety is an essential value for organizations because it is a component of their moral and social obligations. Furthermore, it is well known that effective safety management can increase profit by lowering the costs associated with occupational accidents, improving performance, and even affording companies a competitive advantage. Although safety culture is considered an important predictor of good safety procedures, there is still an insufficient understanding of the relationships between the various aspects of safety culture. Improving this understanding will assist in efforts to improve safety performance and, by extension, safety culture within organizations[].
A fundamental component of efficient health and safety management is increasing employee awareness through the dissemination of information. In this context, all employees should be provided with accurate information regarding the occupational hazards to which they could be exposed, as well as the precautions they and their employers are required to take to avoid or minimize the risks associated with the identified hazards[]. The high frequency of work-related injuries in the UAE is partially explained by insufficient information regarding the hazards involved in occupational activities and a poor commitment to safety and health precautions[].
This study assessed safety knowledge and practices among teachers in public schools in the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE, in response to the paucity of information on the subject in the Emirate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study design and site description
A cross-sectional survey design was used. This study was conducted in the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE. The Emirate of Sharjah consists of a main city, Sharjah, and other small cities, Al Dhaid, Kalba’a, Dibba Al-Hsin, and Khor Fakkan. There are public schools in all the cities.
Determination of sample size and exclusion criteria
According to the Emirates Schools Establishment, there are 99 public schools in the Sharjah Emirate[]. As described in detail in Table 1[], the sample size at a 95% confidence level is between 76 and 80 schools, and the sample size computation software suggests that 79 schools are the optimal sample size from the 99 public schools; for descriptive studies, the sample should be 20% of a small population[]; thus, 79 × 0.2 = 15.8 = 16 public schools.
Table 1
Determination of sample size using interpersonal computing and technology.
The are 2886 teachers[], and based on this, the minimum recommended sample size, according to the sample size computation software, is estimated to be 340 teachers. Therefore, the required sample size is (79/99) × 340 = 271 teachers.
Required sample size, where N = Population size and n = sample size.
Only teachers were included in this study, and other employees, such as administrative staff or technicians, were excluded.
The questionnaire
The questionnaire used for this study was adapted from Vinodkumar and Bhasi (2010)[] with modifications [Table 2a and b]. English, Arabic, and Chinese languages were used in the surveys because the majority of teachers are Arabic and English speakers, and the Ministry of Education introduced the teaching of the Chinese language in government schools in September 2019[]. The survey focused on occupational, safety, and health awareness and commitment. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. Part I was related to the background of the respondents, whereas Part II focused on the perceptions of safety policies in the workplace, safety procedures, tools and equipment, safety training, safety and health committees, commitment and attitudes, and workplace environment.
Table 2a
Demographic information of the participants.
Table 2b
Knowledge, awareness, practice, and process.
To statistically correlate sociodemographic factors (or categorical variables) with safety in professional environments, the Chi-square (χ2) coefficient, degrees of freedom (df), and probability (P) value were calculated, with a primary emphasis on the χ2 coefficient. The χ2 test measures the goodness of fit between observed and expected values, indicating whether the observed data deviates from the expected data. The df represents the number of independent observations in the data that can vary, thereby influencing the critical values and P values associated with the data distribution. The P value indicates the likelihood that the observed data occurred by random chance, with values ranging from zero to one. A smaller P value indicates a lower probability that the results occurred by chance, providing stronger evidence to reject the null hypothesis. In this study, the null hypothesis is that sociodemographic factors do not influence safety aspects in professional environments.
RESULTS
Sex distribution
Figure 1 shows that 56.3% of the respondents were female and 43.8% were male. The results indicate that females are more concerned about safety issues than males, which agrees with the findings of Hasan and Younos[], who reported that females were more safety-conscious than males.
Figure 1
Sex distribution of the study participants.
Age distribution of the respondents
Figure 2 illustrates the age distribution of the 271 respondents: 8%, 30%, 42%, and 20% were aged between 21 and 29 years, 30 and 39 years, 40 and 49 years, and 50 and 59 years, respectively. In the 16 public schools in Sharjah, most teachers were between 40 and 49 years. Masood and Choudry[] reported that perceptions of safety culture can be influenced by socioeconomic factors, including experience, educational level, and age. Based on a study, perceptions of safety and age were positively correlated. Pfeifer and Wagner[] reported that older workers are the most compliant with safety regulations, demonstrate a higher level of job satisfaction, have the best perceptions of safety, and have the lowest rates of involvement in accidents.
Figure 2
Age distribution of the respondents.
Academic level of the respondents
Figure 3 shows that out of the 271 respondents, none had only a high school-level education, 2% had only a diploma, 81% had a bachelor’s degree, and 18% had a master’s or Ph.D. degree; therefore, almost all of the respondents had a bachelor’s degree or higher. In a study by Hasan and Younos[], they reported that the academic level and major disciplines of academic staff at Dhaka University, Bangladesh, did not significantly affect overall safety awareness. Furthermore, they recommended that safety education courses be provided to improve safety culture.
Figure 3
Academic levels of the respondents.
Knowledge and awareness of occupational safety and health
Neal et al.[] reported that knowledge is an essential requirement for improving safety compliance. It is illogical to expect compliance with safety regulations without providing adequate detail and information on workplace hazards. Awareness was the most significant indicator of safety compliance. Ongoing education could also increase awareness[].
Awareness of the importance of health and safety for teachers and students
This study explored teacher awareness of the significance of health and safety in schools. Figure 4 illustrates the percentages of respondents who were aware of the necessity of health and safety for school employees and students. The results revealed that 97.5% of respondents acknowledged the importance of health and safety in schools, 2.1% were neutral, and 0.3% strongly disagreed.
Figure 4
Awareness of the importance of health and safety for employees and students.
Table 3 presents the χ2 values, df, and P values of the awareness of the importance of health and safety for employees and students. Sex was a significant factor (P = 0.019). The academic level of the respondents aligns closely with their expectations, which is understandable because individuals with a higher educational level and older age are more likely to appreciate the necessity of health and safety in professional environments, followed by those with greater work experience.
Table 3
Chi-square, degrees of freedom, and probability values to assess the awareness of the importance of health and safety for employees and students.
Employers must educate employees about their rights and responsibilities in occupational health and safety. It is essential to implement specific occupational health and safety programs and awareness campaigns to increase awareness of risks and occupational injuries[].
General knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety
As shown in Figure 5, 94.1% of respondents agreed that they had general knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety. Notably, a higher percentage of respondents remained neutral or disagreed compared to previous findings. This may stem from limited access to governmental documentation containing school-related health and safety laws and regulations, and it could also be due to the reliance on health and safety practitioners to provide such information rather than it being actively sought.
Figure 5
General knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety.
Table 4 shows the χ2, df, and P values of the knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety for employees and students. Sex has no statistically significant impact on the knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety among the respondents (P = 0.58), although it was more pronounced among females. In contrast, work experience deviated from expectations, where employees with more work experience would be expected to have greater understanding of the health and safety laws.
Table 4
Chi-square, degrees of freedom, and probability values to assess knowledge of the laws and regulations related to health and safety for employees and students.
The regulations related to the occupational health mandate that enterprises, including employers, provide employees with information on the laws and legislation of occupational safety rights and duties, regular training, instruction, and supervision[].
Recognizing and identifying all risks associated with any activity performed in the school
Figure 6 presents the percentages of respondents stating that they recognize and identify the risks associated with activities in their school environment. According to the results, 95.1% of the participants agreed that they could recognize and identify all risks associated with any activity performed in the school. Some respondents expressed uncertainty or disagreed with this statement. The high percentage of agreement suggests a strong perception among the respondents regarding their ability to assess and understand risks in their professional environments. However, it is noted that the self-assessment of risk recognition may not always align perfectly with actual risk awareness and management practices. Therefore, although encouraging, these self-reported results require validation using objective measures or external assessments.
Figure 6
Recognizing and identifying all risks associated with any activity performed in the school.
Table 5 shows that the academic level of the respondents aligned more closely with the expected patterns, followed by work experience, age, and sex. This suggests that participants with higher educational levels were more likely to recognize the risks associated with school activities. For instance, respondents with doctoral degrees are expected to have a greater capacity to identify risks within school activities; this explains the lower χ2 coefficient or closer alignment between observed and predicted values in this group. Conversely, educational attainment and work experience showed significant deviations from expectations. This may indicate that individuals with a lower level of formal education or limited work experience might perceive risks differently or face challenges in identifying them compared with those with a higher educational qualification or more extensive professional background.
Table 5
Chi-square, degrees of freedom, and P values to assess recognition and identification of all risks associated with any activity performed in the school for employees and students.
Risk identification is the first step in risk management. Identifying risks involves assessing the hazards and control measures applied during an activity or procedure, which forms the foundation for future work in developing and implementing risk control programs in organizations[].
Safety information is always shared regularly by safety specialists
Figure 7 shows the responses of the participants to knowing who to report to and communicate with regarding safety issues in the school; an overwhelming 95.8% of teachers agree that they have this knowledge. Conversely, a small percentage (0.6%) disagreed, whereas 3.5% were either unsure or did not understand the question. The high percentage of respondents who were aware of appropriate channels for reporting and communicating safety concerns clearly indicates the effectiveness of the safety protocols implemented in the schools included in this study.
Figure 7
Knowing who to report to and communicate with regarding safety issues in the school.
Table 6 presents the χ2 values, df, and P values for evaluating knowledge of who to report to and communicate with regarding safety issues in school. No sociodemographic factors were statistically significant. The academic level of respondents aligns closely with theoretical expectations reported by Hassan et al.,[] who emphasized that safety procedures should be frequently followed, and employees should be held responsible for complying with measures to prevent accidents.
Table 6
Degrees of freedom, and probability values assessing the knowledge of whom to report to and communicate with regarding safety issues in the school for employees and students.
Regular knowledge of the significance of safety procedures is necessary to prevent accidents and to lower the risk in all procedures. This correlation suggests that doctoral-level respondents are more likely to have received safety training as part of their professional development. However, not all schools require teachers to obtain safety-training certificates. The χ2 coefficient for sex supports the hypothesis that sex plays a role in knowing who to report to and communicate with regarding safety issues in school. This finding, consistent with previous studies, indicates that females may be more likely to show interest in safety issues than males, which is evident from day to day observations. However, this interpretation might be biased because more females than males responded to the question, although the difference was not highly significant.
Communication influences the importance of health and safety concerns when performing work tasks[]. Employers must notify all employees regarding the possible dangers to their health and safety in the workplace, as well as those that are specific to each position of responsibility or function; protective and preventive actions and activities applicable to those hazards; and the steps taken in relation to first-aid, firefighting, and evacuation[].
DISCUSSION
Most of the respondents in this study were female, as a large majority of teachers in early childhood education and primary education are female.
As previously stated, sex is a significant factor in awareness of the importance of health and safety of employees and students.
Regarding age and educational level, the majority of respondents were over 30 years of age. This may be because teaching careers require teaching and education certificates before commencing work and 99% of the teachers had a bachelor’s degree or higher since a bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational level for teachers. Sociodemographic factors, such as age and the academic level of teachers, affect awareness and knowledge of health and safety because the awareness training sessions include all employees regardless of their age or academic level; thus, the majority of the teachers have good knowledge and awareness of health and safety in the workplace, in general, and particularly of school safety. Makhtar et al.[] reported that implementing safety policies, safety committees, and safety training would improve safety culture in the education sector.
As previously stated, most respondents had a high level of awareness due to the presence of a specific occupational health and safety framework for educational institutions in the UAE. In addition, external oversight to evaluate the level of the health and safety system for all educational institutions and the presence of a safety office in every school play key roles in promoting the safety culture in the school community, which increases the percentage of those who can identify all the risks in the process and procedures of school activities. According to the study by Zubir et al.,[] staff and students have a high level of awareness because they are well-informed regarding safety subjects. Kipngeno and Benjamin[] reported that there is a direct correlation between the safety preparedness of the administration and students, and they recommended identifying the safety role of each member of the school, with clear definitions and good communication.
Another study by Hassan et al.[] reported that teachers should constantly ensure that health and safety are considered. In addition, students must always be given correct information and competent guidance to enable them to safely conduct their studies. In addition, students should receive warnings regarding specific risks and how to reduce, eliminate, or avoid exposure to them. To ensure that students can perform their studies in a safe environment, staff members must also have a positive attitude toward health and safety procedures. According to the findings of Zubir et al.,[] staff awareness is strong. Staff had a higher level of awareness of the aspects of occupational health and safety than students. This is assumed to be due to staff members having greater expertise in operating equipment in a safe manner and being more conscious of safety than students.
Ulug et al.[] reported that although the positive attitudes of instructors have a positive effect on the performance and personality development of students, negative attitudes have an adverse influence on their performance levels and personality development, concluding that teachers are excellent role models for students, and as such, their perspectives on life and how they behave should be primary influences. From an organizational perspective, Sorensen et al.[] reported that good policies, programs, and practices support worker health, safety, and well-being, as well as business goals, including increased staff morale, less absenteeism, and turnover. They may also lead to lower healthcare costs, and higher quality services.
CONCLUSION
This study evaluated the health and safety knowledge and practices among teachers at public schools in Sharjah, UAE. The results indicate a high awareness of health and safety knowledge and practices. The majority of the respondents indicated that they were aware of the regulations and laws related to health and safety and could identify the risks associated with any activity performed at the school. We conclude that there is excellent awareness of occupational health and safety in the education sector in the Sharjah Emirate, UAE.
The results of this study emphasize the importance of safety policies, training, and committees in increasing the safety culture among employees. The results of this study can be used by the Education Ministry of the UAE, particularly in school management, learn about the importance of safety training and committees in increasing safety culture in the workplace. The Ministry of Education could also play a more important role in the primary prevention of accidents and injuries, as well as the promotion of safety knowledge in the education sector.
Safety awareness is an important objective for most organizations, such as educational institutions at different levels, where laboratories, gymnasiums, dormitories, cafeterias, and clinics require more attention from management to ensure the facilities are a safe environment. Finally, future studies are required to address aspects not included in this study to better evaluate safety issues in the school environment.
Study limitations
Teachers have demanding schedules, leaving them with limited time for participation in surveys.
Authors’ contributions
NSA, AIO, and ARI conceived the study. NSA curated and analyzed the data. AIO and ARI supervised the study. NSA validated the results. All authors have approved the final draft of the manuscript. All authors are responsible for the scientific content and integrity of this manuscript.
Ethical statement
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Sharjah (approval number: REC-23-08-14-01-PG). All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards. Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants.
Declaration of Helsinki
The authors confirm that the study was performed in accordance of the Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, outlined in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (revised 2013, https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/).
Data availability statement
Data will be available upon request.
Financial support and sponsorship
Not applicable.
Conflict of interests
No conflict of interests declared.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the University of Sharjah for supporting this study and thank the Ministry of Education, UAE, for permitting access to educational institutions to conduct the study among their employees.
REFERENCES
1.
Mearns K, Whitaker SM, Flin R. Safety climate, safety management practice and safety performance in offshore environments. Saf Sci 2003;41:641 80.2.
Hassan NH, Ismail AR, Makhtar NK, Sulaiman MA, Subki NS, Hamzah NA. Safety and health practice among laboratory staff in Malaysian education sector. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng 2017;257:012004. [doi: 10.1 088/1757 899X/257/1/012004].3.
UAE accident. Al Bayan newspaper. Available from: https://www.albayan.ae/across-the-uae/accidents/2020-01-29-1.3764456. [Last accessed on 2020 Jan 29].4.
UAE accident. Al Bayan newspaper. Available from:https://www.albayan.ae/uae/accidents/2022-02-16-1.4371176. [Last accessed on 2022 Feb 16].5.
Local Section Accidents. Emaratalyoum Newspaper. Available from: https://www.emaratalyoum.com/local-section/accidents/2015-05-25-1.787524. [Last accessed on 2015 May 25].6.
Alolah T, Stewart RA, Panuwatwanich K, Mohamed S. Developing a comprehensive safety performance evaluation framework for Saudi schools. Int J Productivity Perform Manage 2014;63:446–76.7.
Occupational Health and Safety Management System General Framework. Ministry of Education. Availablefrom: https://www.moe.gov.ae/Ar/ImportantLinks/Pages/Control-Sector.aspx. [Last accessed on 2020 January 1].8.
Tappura S, Jääskeläinen A, Pirhonen J. Creation of satisfactory safety culture by developing its key dimensions. Saf Sci 2022;154:105849. [doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2022.105849].9.
Uzuntarla F, Kucukali S, Uzuntarla Y. An analysis on the relationship between safety awareness and safety behaviors of healthcare professionals, Ankara/Turkey. J Occup Health 2020;62:e12129.10.
Loney T, Cooling RF, Aw TC. Lost in translation? Challenges and opportunities for raising health and safety awareness among a multinational workforce in the United Arab Emirates. Saf Health Work 2012;3:298 304.11.
Number of schools by zones. Emirates Schools Establishment. 2022. Available from: https://www.ese.gov.ae/En/OpenData/Pages/default.aspx. [Last accessed on 2022 july 18].12.
Hill R. What Sample Size Is Enough in Internet Survey Research. Interpersonal Computing and Technology: An Electronic Journal for the 21st Century, 1998;6:1–10.13.
Teachers Number by Zone. Emirates Schools Establishment. 2023. Available from: https://www.ese.gov.ae/En/OpenData/Pages/default.aspx. [Last accessed on 2023 july 12].14.
Vinodkumar MN, Bhasi M. Safety management practices and safety behaviour: Assessing the mediating role of safety knowledge and motivation. Accid Anal Prev 2010;42:2082 93.15.
Local Section. Emaratalyoum Newspaper. Available from: https://www.emaratalyoum.com/localsection/education/2022 04 22 1.1624398. [Last accessed on 2022 Apr 22].16.
Hasan MK, Younos TB. Safety culture among Bangladeshi university students: A cross sectional survey. Saf Sci 2020;131:104922.17.
Masood R, Choudhry RM. Investigation of Demographic Factors Relationship with Safety Climate. 48th ASC (Associated Schools of Construction) Annual International Conference 2012;54:1 9.18.
Pfeifer C, Wagner J. Age and gender effects of workforce composition on productivity and profits: Evidence from a new type of data for German enterprises. Contemp Econ 2014;8:25 46.19.
Neal A, Gri MA, Hart PM. The impact of organizational climate on safety climate and individual behavior; 2000;34:99–109.20.
Wu TC, Liu CW, Lu MC. Safety climate in university and college laboratories: Impact of organizational and individual factors. J Safety Res 2007;38:91–102.21.
Konijn AM, Lay AM, Boot CR, Smith PM. The effect of active and passive occupational health and safety (OHS) training on OHS awareness and empowerment to participate in injury prevention among workers in Ontario and British Columbia (Canada). Saf Sci 2018;108:286–91.22.
Alli BO. Fundamental principles of occupational health and safety Second Edition; International Labour Office – Geneva: ILO, 2008. p. 1–4. Available from : http://www.ilo.int/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/article/wcms_098126.pdf. [Last accessed on 2008 Sept 1].23.
Tchankova L. Risk identification – Basic stage in risk management. Environ Manage Health 2002;13:290–7.24.
Swuste P, Frijters A, Guldenmund F. Is it possible to influence safety in the building sector? A literature review extending from 1980 until the present. Saf Sci 2012;50:1333–43.25.
Angel M, Saldaria M, Herrero SG, Rodriguez G, Ritzel D. The impact of occupational hazard information on employee health and safety: An analysis by professional sectors in Spain. Int Electron J Health Educ 2012;15:83–98.26.
Makhtar NK, Parasuraman B, Zakaria MN, Ismail AR. Safety culture and its contributing factor in education sector in Malaysia. Adv Intell Syst Comput 2018;604:456–64.27.
Zubir B, Saad F, Faradiana Wan Maidin W, Riduan Jamaludin M. Safety and Health Awareness among Staff and Students in Workshop and Laboratory of an Engineering Technology University Campus. In IJERT Journal Int J Eng Res and Technol 2016;5.28.
Kipngeno RR, Benjamin KW. Safety awareness and preparedness in secondary schools in Kenya: A case of Turkana district. Educ Res Rev 2009;4:379–84.29.
Ulug M, Ozden MS, Eryilmaz A. The effects of teachers’ attitudes on students’ personality and performance. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 2011;30:738–42.30.
Sorensen G, Sparer E, Williams JA, Gundersen D, Boden LI, Dennerlein JT, et al. Measuring best practices for workplace safety, health, and well being: The workplace integrated safety and health assessment. J Occup Environ Med 2018;60:430 9.