Cases of near misses in chemical laboratories of universities and their countermeasures

In this study, interviews with undergraduate and graduate students about incidents that did not result in an accident but felt dangerous (so-called near miss incidents) that occurred in the chemical laboratory at the university (to which the author belongs) in 2023 were conducted. An explanation of near-miss cases and the causes attributed to the experimenter is provided. Specifically, potential dangers related to (1) contact with hazardous chemicals, (2) handling of glassware, and (3) working spaces and electricity frequently occur. Comparing undergraduate and graduate students, it was found that the former tended to think about concrete and individual countermeasures, while the latter tended to discuss causes and countermeasures from a broader perspective; therefore, they were differentiated based on the description column. Comments from the graduate students were categorized into corresponding case categories and recorded in a discussion column. Furthermore, a summary section is included on who should be careful, their outlook, and their mindset.