Evaluation of Occupational Safety Culture and Awareness Among Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Students

The aim of this study is to evaluate the occupational safety culture and awareness of students enrolled in the 2022-2023 academic year at 44 Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools (VTAHS) in Samsun province. The research method is descriptive and cross-sectional, as it analyzes the data of variables collected from a group of people at a specific point in time. The study population consists of students attending VTAHS in Samsun province. A simple random sampling method was used to survey 9,517 students in grades 9-12 across 44 VTAHS in Samsun. Descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, frequency, etc.) and tests that allow comparisons between independent variables (T-test, ANOVA test, etc.) were used to evaluate the data. The analysis revealed that approximately 60% of the students scored 50 or below on the test measuring their occupational safety knowledge level. When examining the average responses of students to statements regarding occupational safety culture by school, statistically significant differences were found between the schools. Evaluating by grade level, it was found that 12th-grade students had higher averages compared to other grades. In terms of gender, it was determined that female students had higher average responses to occupational safety culture statements compared to male students.