The effect of occupational health and safety course on occupational safety perception: The sample of Söke Vocational School

This study aims to examine the effect of occupational health and safety course on occupational safety perception of vocational school students. Occupational safety perception refers to the level of individuals' perception of risks in their work environment and taking precautions against these risks. The study was conducted among students of Aydın Adnan Menderes University Söke Vocational School, and the differences between students who took and did not take the occupational health and safety course were compared. The survey method was used in the study and data were collected via Google forms. A total of 403 students participated in the study and the validity and reliability analyses of the scales were conducted using the SPSS 21 program. As a result of the factor analyses conducted on the occupational health and safety perception scale, a single-factor structure was determined, and the social security perception scale was classified into two sub-factors: "OHS Education, Institutional Requirements and Human Rights" and "Applicability and Current Status of OHS". The findings obtained showed that the perception levels of students who took the occupational health and safety course were statistically significantly higher than those who did not take the course. In addition, it was determined that variables such as gender, age, students' work experience and whether they had a work accident before also have an effect on the perception of work safety. As a result of this study, it was emphasized that it is important to make occupational health and safety training mandatory, to support theoretical knowledge with practical training and to increase cooperation with the sector. The findings show that OSH training increases awareness in students and can contribute to their displaying safer behaviors in future work environments.