Primary school students view on hazardous substances

Each year many synthetic substances are produced in Slovenia and worldwide. A large number of these substances possess at least one hazardous characteristic. In the last decade the annual production of chemicals within the EU-15 ranged between 250 and 300 million tonnes of which the proportion of toxic chemicals exceeded 150 million tonnes per annum. Despite the fact that product labels clearly indicate such contents through the appropriate use of pictograms we are often not aware that such substances have become a part of our everyday life. It is essential to inform primary school pupils from the lower grade about the presence of such substances in products and about the possibility of potential hazards, so as to be able to ensure adequate handling, prevent accidents and contribute towards environmental protection. At the same time, pupils must - with the implementation of preventive measures - develop knowledge about appropriate behaviour in the event of accidents associated with the use of hazardous substances. This Master's thesis examines the level of knowledge among school children in the field of identification of hazardous substances in their environment, safe handling of these substances and actions to be taken in case of accidents. The study has been carried out on a sample of 545 pupils (4th to 9th grade) from Inner Carniola, Upper Carniola and the Central Slovenian region. Results of the study indicate that knowledge regarding the safe handling of hazardous substances among primary school pupils between 4th and 9th grade is gradually developing and improving in certain areas (e.g. understanding of the hazardous substances concept and depiction of hazardous substances on labels), but in other areas (e.g. understanding of the importance of the use of personal protective equipment when working with hazardous substances and proper handling in case of accidents involving hazardous substances) there was no noticeable evidence of progress in pupils’ knowledge in both lower grade and upper grades. It would be reasonable - according to the conclusions of the study and the fact that we are surrounded by hazardous substances at every step - for pupils to acquire additional knowledge on the safety of chemical substances through extracurricular activities; and for teachers from lower grade to attend organised training sessions in the field of integration of the topics covered in this study into regular primary school classes