Journal of Laboratory Chemical Education 2022, 10(3): 45-53 DOI: 10.5923/j.jlce.20221003.01 Laboratory Chemical Safety Assessment and Compliance in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions Oladotun B. Isola * , Mary T. Akintelu, Oseghale C. Inetianbor Chemical Sciences Department, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo State, Nigeria Abstract The enormous burden of work related injuries has created a global concern and major risk factors may be traced to exposure to chemical, biological, mechanical and electrical hazards among others. Laboratory chemical safety control is critical and important to the avoidance of hazards and therefore this study identify the level of awareness and compliance on chemical safety by laboratory users, the effectiveness of safety procedures and the effects it has on the laboratory users were also examined. Primary data source were employed for the study through the use of questionnaire administered to 34 laboratory technologists in four tertiary institutions in Edo state which include University of Benin, Ambrose Ali University, Samuel Adegboyega University and College Education Igueben. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques through special package for social sciences, SPSS (version 20). The result revealed that the use of Warning symbols and safety charts, control use of hazardous and radioactive chemicals, and chemical hygiene plans were effective in reducing the incidence of accident in the laboratory but compliance by laboratory users have been very low. Also, the result of Kruskal-Wallis test shows that the effects of PPE (F= 6.815; p<0.05) and warning symbols and safety charts (F= 14.625; p<0.05) are statistically significant and effective in reducing hazards in the laboratory. In conclusion, safety practices among laboratory users need to be improved and focus should be on establishing safety standards of operation for laboratories in educational institutions with continuous inspection to ensure compliance by relevance regulatory agencies. Keywords Chemical safety, Assessment, Compliance, Tertiary institutions 1. Introduction Laboratory chemical safeties are guidelines or procedures put in place to ensure safe handling, storage, transportation and disposal of chemicals in the laboratory. This is important in educational institutions, research institutes and industries where chemicals are in constant use because the procedures guide students and other laboratory users on safe handling of chemicals in the laboratory in order to prevent chemical hazards and accident in the laboratory. Chemicals are substances used to synthesize or manufacture chemical products in the industry and are also used for experiment by scientists in the educational sector. Current standards on hazard evaluations, risk assessments, and hazard mitigation are only applicable in the industrial settings without been replicated in the academic research laboratory environment because there is no comprehensive guidance on managing the hazards unique to laboratory chemical research in the academic environment (American Chemical Society, 2015). Safety issues should not only be * Corresponding author: dotmanchope@gmail.com (Oladotun B. Isola) Received: Jul. 1, 2022; Accepted: Jul. 20, 2022; Published: Sep. 5, 2022 Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/jlce peculiar to the industries but also in educational institutions such as University laboratories where chemicals and reagents are in constant use (Nurul et al, 2017). Chemical laboratories possess a greater number of unique hazards than most other general worksites and as a result present some of the greatest challenges in the prevention of injury and illness. Thus, laboratory users in educational institutions should be mandated to include hazard identification, assessment, and management in their operations, and ensure a safe working environment for themselves and other laboratory users. Hazard associated with the use of chemical can be categorized in three ways which includes hazard in chemical dispensation and use, hazard in chemical storage and transportation, hazard in disposal and environmental pollution. Chemical hazards occurs during the process of carrying out activities or scientific investigations in the laboratory, some of these activities involves chemical pouring, reagents and solution preparations, chemical labeling, chemical boiling and heating, chemical pipetting, chemical storage, transportation and disposal. The actions of preparing and pouring acids in the laboratory or other dangerous substances may result in toxic and corrosive injuries on workers from chemical spillages and spurting hazards. Hazards of mistaken identity occur when chemical