Assessing USECHH regulation 2000 implementation on chemical laboratories: a case study of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Abstract

Chemical laboratories safety has become an important issue in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as many accidents occurred in the laboratory such as spillage and explosion. By using USECHH Regulation 2000 as the baseline study, this research was conducted on 18 chemical testing laboratories in UTM which are divided into Service Lab, Teaching and Learning Lab and also Research Lab. The enforcement of USECHH Regulation 2000 commonly took place in the industry, however the implementation of it in universities are still not widely accepted. The study was conducted by using audit checklist, questionnaire, on-site observation and interview based on seventeen requirements listed in USECHH Regulation 2000. The methodology was divided into four phases; (1) the quality control; pre-test survey phase, (2) the on-site data gathering information phase, (3) data evaluation phase, and (4) safety plan proposal phase. Among the three types of laboratory, Service Laboratory shows the best result. However one way ANOVA statistical test proved that there are no significant differences between each type of laboratory. The questionnaire results revealed that training, awareness and knowledge, and management support are the critical reasons that contributed to the compliance status of the laboratories. Involvement of students and lecturers, website and system development, and control of procurement are among the critical success factors to improve the enforcement of USECHH Regulation 2000 in the campus.