Monthly news and research findings from the Institute for Work & Health

IWH News

February 2017

Health-care providers face workers’ compensation challenges when dealing with complex injuries: IWH study


Most health-care providers, when treating acute and visible injuries, find the workers’ compensation system and return-to-work process relatively straightforward. But when treating patients with gradual onset, invisible or complex conditions, the challenges can be many. A new study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) examines the challenges from the perspectives of health-care providers and case managers in four provinces. Dr. Agnieszka Kosny shared the findings at a recent plenary and in an At Work article, now online.


Read the At Work article
Watch the plenary slidecast
Download the report

Calling Ontario employers: IWH team needs your help to measure OHS investment


How much do Ontario employers invest in time and money to keep workers safe? It’s a question that IWH researchers are setting out to answer—a first in Canada—and they need employers’ help. The team is now recruiting participants from all industries and sectors in the province. Read about the methods they plan to use—and sign up.


Find out more

IWH resources available to help mark RSI Day


International Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) Awareness Day is marked every year on the last day of February. RSIs are among the most common types of injury suffered by workers, causing painful disorders of the tendons, muscles, nerves and joints in the neck, back, chest, shoulders, arms and hands. The prevention of these injuries, a subset of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), is a significant focus of IWH research. Get all study findings, tools, and resources related to this research area on our MSD Prevention page. Or, download a new guide to our resources aimed at ergonomists and other MSD prevention specialists.


Download the resources guide

Knowledge exchange associate Dr. Kim Cullen recently appointed IWH associate scientist


Congratulations to Dr. Kimberley Cullen, who has been appointed an associate scientist at IWH. Cullen, who also retains her role as a knowledge exchange associate, has been with the Institute since 2002. Her current research activities include work in systematic reviews and synthesis of research evidence concerning workplace policies and practices in return to work (RTW), as well as the development of research protocols to evaluate the effectiveness of RTW policies and programs.


See her bio

Work safer with CRE-MSD position papers


Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) position papers are summaries of the best available evidence on topics important to MSD prevention activities. They have immediate relevance for workplace practitioners and other stakeholders. Read about aging and MSDs, factors affecting operator exposure to whole-body vibration, the use of stability balls instead of office chairs, or glove selection to minimize effort and MSD risk, among others. Have a topic idea for a position paper? E-mail your suggestions to cre-msd@uwaterloo.ca.


See the list of CRE-MSD position papers

For more information, please contact


Cindy Moser
Communications Manager
416-927-2027, ext. 2183
cmoser@iwh.on.ca

Uyen Vu
Communications Associate
613-979-7742
uvu@iwh.on.ca

IWH News is distributed monthly by the Institute for Work & Health, an independent, not-for-profit organization that conducts and shares research to protect and improve the health and safety of working people.


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