Endüstriyel Tasarım Bölümü Son Sınıf Öğrencilerinin İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Alg

Akdaş D., Önder M., Şık A., Durak U.

Gazi University Journal of Science Part B: Art Humanities Design and Planning, sa.14, ss.275-285, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Education is widely regarded as one of the most effective tools for reducing occupational accidents and occupational diseases. Since human factors constitute one of the primary causes of workplace accidents, increasing individuals’ awareness and sensitivity toward occupational risks has become a critical component of sustainable occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. In this context, universities play a strategic role in developing safety awareness among future professionals before they enter working life. The present study aims to examine the occupational health and safety perceptions of final-year industrial design students and to evaluate their knowledge levels, safety culture perspectives, and awareness regarding OHS practices prior to graduation. The study was conducted with 66 final-year students enrolled in the Department of Industrial Design at the Faculty of Architecture, Gazi University, during the 2024–2025 Spring Semester. Data were collected through a face-to-face survey using a 24-item, five-point Likert-type Occupational Health and Safety Education Scale developed within the scope of the research project coded FPD-2024- 9769. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to examine the relationship between students’ OHS perceptions and demographic variables such as gender, parental education level, and occupational accident experience. The findings revealed no statistically significant differences between demographic variables and students’ OHS perception levels (p > .05). However, the results demonstrated that although students possessed relatively high theoretical awareness regarding occupational health and safety, significant deficiencies existed in practical applications such as emergency preparedness, fire drills, and personal protective equipment (PPE) training. The study indicates that current OHS education in industrial design programs remains largely theoretical and that stronger integration of practical and experience-based safety training is required. In this respect, the study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the importance of early, continuous, and practice-oriented OHS education specifically tailored to design-based and workshop-oriented learning environments.