Chemistry Laboratory Safety: A Peer-Led Observational Learning Program for High School Students

While laboratory safety education is fundamental to scientific inquiry, its implementation in high schools often lacks the rigor found in higher education. This study introduces the Chemistry Laboratory Safety ( CLS ) program, a peer-led initiative designed to establish a safety-conscious framework among high school students. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the program realizes observational learning through a structured framework of theoretical lectures, live demonstrations, and hands-on practical training facilitated by experienced peers. The program’s impact was assessed through a prepost observational study. Quantitative analysis revealed a robust improvement in the cognitive domain, with a large effect size, particularly in mastering first aid and technical equipment utilization. While behavioral improvements were observed, the effect size was smaller, indicating a behavioral lag in which cognitive gains outpaced the internalization of spontaneous safety habits. Following the implementation, the laboratory has recorded no major accidents or injuries, providing a practical contrast to the preventable incidents recorded in previous years. These findings suggest that near-peer led structure effectively bridges the gap between theoretical awareness and technical competency, offering a scalable framework for fostering laboratory responsibility in secondary education settings.