FAQs

What is a Best Practice?

For the purposes of this collection, best practices are defined as a process, intervention, strategy, program or practice that has been developed and implemented to produce superior outcomes. It may come from an individual workplace or have developed through collaborative input and review of workplace partners or through benchmarking evaluations. In short, best practices are ideas that work.

"Best" means best in the context of the environment or workplace (including that workplace's culture, systems, delivery strategy, etc.) in which it was developed and implemented. A best practice may not be a best practice in all workplaces. Best practices identify the strategies used to produce superior results, so that others can learn from them.

In terms of workplace health and safety, a best practice should improve the standard in workplaces, by increasing recognition of hazards, preventing injuries and illnesses, eliminating hazardous exposures, improving management systems, increasing compliance with legislated requirements, etc.

What is safe practice information?

This Best Practice Web site also includes other safe practice information that you may find useful, including a range of useful hazard alerts, specific guidelines and possible solutions to problems, practical procedures, and other hazard and safety information. A best practice may be formed from safe practice information by adapting the information so it produces a superior result for your workplace.

What should workplaces consider when choosing practices?

Selection of practices should be made with consideration to this hierarchy of controls:

1. eliminate or isolate the hazard, substitute safer materials
2. implement engineering controls
3. implement administrative controls and work practices
4. require personal protective equipment

You should also consider the factors that made a practice successful in another workplace.

Note also that the adoption of these practices may not satisfy the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other legislation. Users should consult applicable requirements to determine their legal duties.

Who can use the Database?

Anyone seeking solutions to their health and safety problems or looking for ways to improve elements of their prevention program. Users could include

• workers
• managers
• supervisors
• joint health and safety committee members/ health and safety representatives
• engineers
• health and safety coordinators/managers
• occupational hygienists
• ergonomists
• consultants
• medical personnel
• prevention system staff

Who may contribute?

• health and safety system partners
• private consultants
• academia
• commercial enterprises
• individual workplaces
• unions
• others

What types of information will the database include?

• It is our hope that the best practices submitted will have clear information on a practice or program that summarizes the background issues, how the practice works (i.e. the process), the superior results achieved and sufficient contextual information about the workplace environment and implementation strategy to permit others to knowledgeably use the practice.
• Safe practice information may include a much wider range of data - including hazard alerts, programs, fact sheets, safety manuals or hazard guidelines.

Is the information reviewed prior to its inclusion in the database?

The Web site is a clearinghouse of workplace health and safety information such as best practices, safe practices and solutions. The information may be reviewed in an effort to ensure that it is:

• practical
• transferable to other workplaces
• current at time of posting

Please note that the WSIB and other contributors do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, correctness, timeliness, or usefulness of any information contained in this site and shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, in any way, for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of or in connection with your use of, or reliance on, any such content.