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

IWH News

December 2022

Season’s Greetings from all of us at IWH


As the festive season approaches, it’s time for us at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) to thank you for your support over the year. We wish you a safe, peaceful and joyful holiday season. All the best for 2023.


Employers describe challenges providing OHS training, support to newcomers


Employers are responsible for providing occupational health and safety (OHS) training and support to keep workers safe. When it comes to workers who are new to Canada, however, workplaces face challenges following through on this responsibility.


Read about the study findings

IWH launches research program on AI and workplace safety, inequities


Uses of artificial intelligence (AI) are all around us but, until now, few researchers have examined the impact of AI through the lens of worker inequities and worker health and safety. In October, a team led by IWH Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha kicked off a new research program at IWH on these topics.


Read about the event

IWH Speaker Series: Effectiveness of mandatory training standard to prevent falls from heights


In 2015, the Ontario government implemented a working-at-heights (WAH) training standard to ramp up fall prevention efforts. An IWH study team, led by IWH Scientist Dr. Lynda Robson, has now gathered two additional years of data on the effectiveness of this training requirement. Find out what the team learned at our next IWH Speaker Series webinar, taking place on December 13.


Sign up for the webinar

IWH Speaker Series: Findings from systematic review on racial and ethnic inequities in RTW


Studies to date have found evidence of racial inequities in work-related injuries and illnesses, but what about in return to work (RTW)? On January 17, in the first IWH Speaker Series presentation of 2023, two IWH scientists, Jetha and Dr. Faraz Vahid Shahidi, share findings from a systematic review on racial inequities in the reintegration of injured or ill workers. The team will also discuss opportunities to address obstacles faced by workers of colour in RTW and provide recommendations for future research.


Sign up for the webinar

We’re hiring!


Join the team that’s charged with getting IWH research out to users and stakeholders. Check out our opportunities page for details on two full-time, permanent postings: one for Knowledge Transfer & Exchange (KTE) Associate and one for Visual-Digital Communications Associate.


See our jobs board

IWH’s latest annual report highlights research on both emerging and longstanding issues


Researchers at IWH need to keep an eye on potential threats and opportunities in the future of work, without losing sight of the longstanding and emerging challenges that continue to put the lives and health of workers at risk today. The 2021/22 Annual Report, now out, highlights the projects conducted by IWH researchers during the 2021-22 fiscal year and the innovations they are bringing to address work and health challenges—whether newer, persistent or yet to come.


Read the annual report

OCRC study now recruiting workplaces for radon testing


Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odourless gas that causes lung cancer. A research team at the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) is now recruiting small to medium-sized workplaces to participate in a study of radon levels in Ontario workplaces. Eligible workplaces will receive free radon testing.


Find out more information

CRE-MSD webinar addresses hybrid work arrangements


A recent survey by the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) found 67 per cent of teleworkers would prefer some form of hybrid working arrangement post-pandemic. In a webinar on January 24, CRE-MSD reviews hybrid work arrangements and ergonomics. The webinar covers requirements of employers, as well as recommendations for supporting hybrid and remote workers.


Find out more

For more information, please contact


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

Uyen Vu
Senior 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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