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Two discrete choice experiments on laboratory safety decisions and practices
Oliver Wirth1, Anne M Foreman1, Jonathan E Friedel1
1Bioanalytics Branch (BB), Health Effects Laboratory Division (HELD), National Institute for Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morgantown, WV 26508, United States.
Journal of Safety Research
|December 18, 2020
Summary
Laboratory workers’ safety decisions are primarily driven by their perception of risk. Understanding these factors can improve safety training and interventions for laboratory personnel.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Behavioral Science
- Risk Management
Background:
- Enhancing laboratory safety necessitates understanding factors influencing personnel's safety-related decision-making.
- Traditional methods for assessing safety perceptions may not fully capture real-world decision-making trade-offs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess factors influencing safety-related decision-making among laboratory personnel.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in understanding occupational safety concerns.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was administered to government research organization laboratory personnel.
- Two discrete choice experiments (DCEs) were used to analyze factors influencing decisions on reporting spills and changing gloves.
- Self-report measures of attitude, perception, and behavior related to safety were included.
Main Results:
- Risk perception was the most significant factor in safety-related decision-making for both scenarios.
- The likelihood of reporting a spill was influenced by perceived negative consequences, effort, and detection likelihood.
- Glove-wearing decisions were primarily affected by perceived exposure risk.
Conclusions:
- Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) effectively quantify factors influencing laboratory workers' safety choices.
- Perceptions of risk and severity of health and safety risks are key drivers of decisions regarding incident reporting and personal protective equipment (PPE) use.
- Findings support targeted training and interventions to improve laboratory safety practices.