Assessing Therapy and Rehabilitation Comprehension of Chemical Labelling and Forming Chemical Safety Competence Specialists

Abstract

Introduction. Considering the higher risk of man-made chemical disasters due to military operations, the demand for the training of qualified therapists and rehabilitators is increasing. Future healthcare professionals should be competent in chemical safety and fully possess information on the designation and classification of hazardous substances and the labelling of chemical substances. Therefore, the relevance of their competent risk assessment is growing regarding the use of dangerous chemical substances of an inorganic and organic nature and their anthropogenic influence. Aim and tasks. The paper aims to determine the formation of chemical safety competence among future specialists in therapy and rehabilitation. The results. A questionnaire established that future rehabilitators should acquire chemical safety competence to decipher hazard markings and possess information about the rules for working with chemicals based on a detailed study of the marking and labelling of chemical substances and rules for their use and disposal. Only 47.1% of the respondents (according to their assessment) knew the rules for handling chemicals, and 41.2% deciphered a potential danger to human health (carcinogenic effect). However, 88.2% of the higher education students interviewed wanted to develop chemical safety competence using unique chemical safety cards. Conclusions. The correct interpretation of the marking constituent elements allows for avoiding accidents and injuries while handling chemicals, and in the moment of a threat to human health or damage, allows the application of the given algorithm for providing first aid. Therefore, understanding the main components of chemical safety by future rehabilitators is possible through applying relevant knowledge, skills and abilities in further professional activities. However, future therapists and rehabilitators cannot correctly decipher the designation of the carcinogenic danger and do not have complete information about the rules for working with chemical substances. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct additional activities for future therapists and rehabilitators for their better understanding of the rules for handling chemicals and deciphering the dangers indicated on the labels of chemical products.