Occupational hazard awareness and safety-related knowledge among EMS students: evidence of a potential gap

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trainees are exposed to multiple occupational hazards during their training; however, the extent to which their awareness translates into safe professional behaviours remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the level of occupational hazard awareness and safety-related knowledge among EMS students in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 96 EMS students from three academic institutions. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from previously published instruments assessing demographic characteristics, awareness of occupational hazards, safety-related measures, and sources of information. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis), Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests, and Spearman correlation analysis were applied. Overall, students demonstrated moderate to high awareness of occupational hazards, particularly regarding hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE). Lower awareness was observed for ergonomic risks and procedures for reporting occupational injuries. Physical (83.3%) and chemical (81.3%) hazards were most frequently recognized, while ergonomic hazards were least identified (26.0%). A total of 63.5% of participants reported encountering aggressive patients at least once per year. No statistically significant association was observed between academic progression and awareness (p = 0.14). A weak, non-significant correlation was found between awareness and self-reported safety-related measures (r = 0.182, p = 0.076), suggesting a limited association between knowledge and reported safety behaviours. Although EMS students demonstrate generally high awareness of occupational hazards, this may be insufficient to ensure safe behaviour, as reflected by self-reported safety-related measures. These findings highlight the need for educational strategies that better support the application of knowledge in practice.