August 2022

How does real-time online training compare with face-to-face formats?

When much of work-related training went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, providers of occupational health and safety (OHS) training naturally began asking questions about the effectiveness of online real-time formats. In a recent study, a research team at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) reviewed the research literature to date. So how does synchronous or real-time online learning compare with face-to-face methods? A new plain-language summary outlines the evidence.

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IWH model informs how other work-health organizations assess their research impact

Research organizations in the field of work and health share a common challenge: how to assess the difference they make. IWH’s Research Impact Model was developed in 2010 to guide Institute thinking about, and documentation of, its impact. The model has resonated with other organizations around the world doing similar research. As told in a new impact case study, the model has made a difference in how several research institutes assess the impact of their work and shape their knowledge transfer and exchange strategies.

Read the impact case study

Putting a figure on the ROI of work health and safety spending

What’s the pay-off for employers when they invest in health and safety? Many organizations may want to know the return-on-investment (ROI) of OHS spending, but it’s seldom easy for individual organizations to determine on their own. Now, using previous research and administrative data from Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, a team at IWH has come up with ROI estimates for three Ontario sectors: construction, manufacturing and transportation.

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Study examines links between job conditions and rheumatic disease symptoms

Can work and labour market conditions be linked to worsened rheumatic symptoms in young adults with the disease? Despite the importance of work on health, studies aimed at removing work barriers for young people with rheumatic diseases have focused on clinical care—not on adapting working conditions. An IWH study examined how job security and work limitations are linked with pain, fatigue and other rheumatic disease symptoms.

Read about the findings

Wanted: Male workers to test job support and accommodation planning tool

A research team at IWH is currently testing a tool that has been developed to help workers with a physical or mental health condition identify the work supports and accommodations they need. The recruitment has been going well, and the team is now focused on finding more men to take part. If you are an employed male living in Canada and have a chronic health condition or disability, and if you are interested in learning about and using different types of work supports or accommodations, the team needs your help.

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CRE-MSD hosts one-day conference on exoskeletons and MSD prevention

Save the date! On October 3, 2022, the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) hosts a one-day conference on exoskeletons—and where they fit in among musculoskeletal disorder prevention strategies. This conference will explore current research on the use of exoskeletons, their potential benefits and limitations, and where they fit within the hierarchy of controls. Registration opens August 19

See conference details

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