1. Effectively Searching CCOHS Databases Laurie Tirone & Jan Chappel Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)

2. Page 2 Formulating Your Search What is your search question or topic? Which database or data source should you use? What are the features of the search engine?

3. Page 3 What is your search question or topic? Determine exactly what you are looking for. Create a search query that uses terms that are specific or unique to your subject. will narrow or limit your search more quickly. Avoid using common terms, such as “safety” or “health”.

4. Page 4 Which database or source should you use? What kind of information do you need? general chemical information, or detailed toxicity reports? a specific piece of legislation or related guideline? published research from the health and safety literature? Learn what type of information each data source contains

5. Page 5 What features does the search engine use? Natural Language Structure Boolean Operators – “ and ”, “ or ”, “ not ” Word Stemming Truncation Relevancy Ranking Multiple fields/indexes for searching

6. Page 6 Search features used in OSH Answers Natural language structure automatically “ ORs ” terms Word stemming Relevancy ranking More to find other documents similar to the one retrieved, check the More box and then click on “ Find Similar Documents ”

7. Page 7 Quick and Advanced searches Boolean operators automatically “ ANDs ” terms unless otherwise specified Truncation available in Advanced search Multiple indexes/fields more are available in Advanced search Search features used in chemical and bibliographic databases

8. Page 8 Search features used in Canadian enviroOSH Legislation Natural language structure automatically “ ORs ” terms Word stemming Relevancy ranking More to find other documents similar to the one retrieved, check the More box and then click on “ Find Similar Documents ”. This is only available when searching the entire collection, not a specific jurisdiction. CD-ROM version uses Folio Views 4.2 Uses many very powerful search features.

9. Page 9 Remember… Become familiar with the search engine for each data source that you use by reading the help section – this will save you time in long run!

10. Page 10 Sample Topics Health Hazard and regulatory information about chemicals Ergonomics OHS Program/Policy CHEMINDEX Page 10

11. Page 11 Health hazard information about chemicals What are the health hazards associated with toluene? Check these sources: OSH Answers CHEMINFO Legislation

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19. Page 19 Regulatory Information about Chemicals My company has plants located in both Ontario and Alberta. What are the regulated exposure limits in these provinces?

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29. Page 29 Ergonomics I’m looking for information on ergonomics. Check these sources: OSH Answers OSH References CSA Standard CCOHS Pocket Guide

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38. Office Ergonomics Guide Available in: Print format PDF format on CD-ROM Page 38

39. Page 39 OSH Program / Policy My company needs an official health and safety policy statement. How do I go about writing one? What type of information should go into one? What can the H&S Committee do to help?

40. Page 40 OSH Program / Policy Check these sources: Legislation OSH Answers CCOHS “Health and Safety Committee” Pocket Guide

41. Page 41 OSH Program / Policy From the “Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act” (Ontario): Employer’s Duty to... prepare a written occupational health and safety policy, review that policy at least once a year and set up a program to implement it (section 25(2)(j)). ** For guidance on how to do this, see Appendix A - (from Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act )

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43. Page 43 OSH Program / Policy Guidelines from British Columbia: list of reference material 14 Elements of a Successful Safety and Health Program. Chicago, IL: National Safety Council, 1994. Developing your Health and Safety Policy and Program: A Guide for Employers. Toronto, ON: Industrial Accident Prevention Association, 1989. Parmeggiani, L. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety, 4th ed. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 1997. Rest, K.M. & N.A. Ashford. Occupational Health and Safety in British Columbia: An Administrative Inventory of the Prevention 1997. Available from: Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia, Films & Posters.

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47. Available in: Print format PDF format on CD-ROM Health & Safety Committees Reference Guide Page 47

48. Page 48 CHEMINDEX Free on Web Provides identification information for over 200,000 chemicals: chemical names and synonyms, the CAS registry number, and a list of the CCINFO databases containing information on that substance.

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56. Page 56 Summary - When Searching for Answers Identify your topic or search question. Create a search query that uses terms that are specific or unique to your subject. Choose a database or data source. Learn the search features associated with each search engine.

57. Page 57 Temporary access to CCOHS web databases MSDS / FTSS CHEMINFO RTECS CHEMINDEX (always free) HSELINE OSHLINE with NIOSHTIC CISILO Canadian enviroOSH Legislation Plus Standards Until April 30, FREE access is available to: OSH Answers is always free from the CCOHS website at www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/

58. Page 58 Instructions for free access until April 30 1. Go to http://www.ccohs.ca and scroll down to Subscriber’s Corner. 2. Select a database from the list. 3. Perform a search. 4. Select a record to open. 5. When prompted, enter the user name IAPA2001 and the password TEMP.

59. Page 59 Further Assistance For help with access or searching, or to begin a subscription to any CCOHS database, please contact: CCOHS Client Services 1-800-668-4284 clientservices@ccohs.ca