Definition - What does work practice controls mean?
Work practice controls are workplace procedures designed to reduce the potential for harm through managing the way in which a task should be performed. Work practice controls are implemented to ensure that employees follow determined best practices when performing a task.
SureHire explains work practice controls
Often a work task may be performed using one of several methods. Work practice controls are used to designate the safest methods for performing a task. An employer should continually monitor and review worker behavior as well as the work environment to guard against unsafe work practices.
Work practice controls allow an employer to communicate to employees both general and operation-specific rules that will reduce workplace hazards. For instance, an employer seeking to reduce injuries due to improper material movement might implement a work procedure instructing employees to push handcarts instead of pulling them.
In addition to employer designated work practice controls, government regulations often dictate specific practices for individual industries and tasks deemed particularly dangerous. Examples of regulatory work practice controls include guidelines for the use of respiratory protective gear, entry into confined spaces, and hearing conservation.
