The mediating role of risk perception in the relationship between chemical safety knowledge, GHS awareness and safety behavior

Exposure to hazardous chemicals remains a critical challenge in industrial settings, leading to significant adverse health outcomes and substantial economic losses annually. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of risk perception in the relationship between chemical safety knowledge, GHS awareness, and safety behavior. This analytical modeling study was conducted among 360 workers from four chemical-enterprise scales (micro, small, medium, and large) in 2024. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires. Data analysis were performed using SPSS v.26. The mediating role was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS v.24, and model fit was assessed using indices such as CFI, RMSEA, and χ²/df. The findings exhibited a general lack of familiarity with less commonly used pictograms, such as toxic materials (80.56% unfamiliarity), and a high reliance on informal training in small enterprises (84.62%). Data analysis illustrated that enterprise size significantly influenced safety knowledge and awareness levels (P < 0.001). Large enterprises demonstrated the highest knowledge scores (27.08 ± 3.05) and safety behavior (3.65 ± 0.53), while micro and small enterprises scored the lowest. Furthermore, risk perception was significantly higher in large enterprises (3.94 ± 0.26) compared to small (3.65 ± 0.33) and micro-enterprises (3.33 ± 0.36; P < 0.001). Path analysis confirmed that risk perception acts as a significant mediating variable, strengthening the relationship between safety knowledge, GHS awareness, and safety behaviors (β = 0.203, P < 0.001). This study addresses a gap in the literature concerning the mechanisms through which key chemical safety variables interact and underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions, such as realistic hazard simulations, standardized bilingual labels, and digital technology integration, to enhance chemical safety across organizational scales.