Evaluation of environmental health and safety status in public primary schools in southern Thailand

Abstract

Water, sanitation, and hygiene in primary schools are important for child health. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 22 public primary schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. The objective was to assess the environmental health and safety status as well as the teachers’ perception of this status in primary schools. Data were collected using a standard school environmental health questionnaire. Parameters assessed included water source, hand washing, toilet and classroom facilities, waste management, food service areas, fire control (extinguishers and alarms), dangers from animals, floods and vectors/pests and buildings/infrastructure around the schools. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and Student’s t-test. The results revealed that participant’s perceived environmental health and safety status in primary schools was 78.1% high and 21.90% moderate. The factors that correlated with perceived environmental health and safety were worker training experience on environmental health and safety (p = 0.002) and length of time worked (p = 0.025). Therefore, school headmasters should initiate preventive measures and promote awareness in order to cope with environmental health and safety, stimulus perception and provide sufficient safeguard to the environment health and safety in primary schools.

Keywords: Evaluation, environmental health and safety, public primary schools