Para além do laboratório: a biossegurança na formação humana integral dos discentes do curso Técnico de Segurança do Trabalho

Abstract

This study, titled "Beyond the Laboratory: Biosafety in the Integral Human Formation of Technical Occupational Safety Students," addresses biosafety in teaching laboratories, environments with multiple hazards that pose various occupational risks. The primary objective of this dissertation is to understand the perceptions of technical occupational safety students regarding biosafety in teaching laboratories. This qualitative research employed multiple data collection methods, including document analysis, individual semi-structured interviews with 17 participants (10 students, 4 teachers, and 3 occupational safety technicians), observations recorded in a field diary, and Analysis Textual Discursive (ATD) as the data analysis instrument. ATD encompasses the stages of unitization, categorization, and metatext construction. Unitization involves text fragmentation to identify meaning units that address the research objectives, revealing 103 meaning units, with 22 derived from field diaries and 81 from interviews. Categorization establishes relationships among previously fragmented units, leading to the creation of eight initial categories, four intermediate categories, and one final category. The final stage, metatext construction, synthesized interpretations, emphasizing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that integrates theory, practice, and ethics in training occupational safety technicians, fostering a commitment to preserving life and the environment. The research highlighted the lack of practical classes and departmental integration as significant challenges, underscoring the need for educational actions combining real-world experiences with theoretical training. The developed Educational Product, an interactive booklet titled "Exploring Biosafety Beyond the Laboratory," was designed to enhance students' understanding of biosafety, incorporating videos, complementary readings, hypothetical workplace scenarios, free professional development courses, and quizzes to provide an engaging and autonomous learning experience. The validation of the handbook involved 12 participants, comprising 7 students, 3 occupational safety technicians, and 2 professors, and was widely accepted among them. At the end of this process, we identified that the training of occupational safety technicians requires an educational approach that integrates theory and practice. Biosafety, as the central theme of this dissertation, reinforces the importance of professional education that values both theoretical and practical knowledge, preparing students for critical, reflective, and socially committed professional practices. The developed handbook represents an initial step but does not aim to solve all the challenges and issues identified. It aspires to foster a collective effort among managers, educators, students, and administrative professionals to collaboratively create a safer, ethical, and more sustainable work environment.