Events

Upcoming events

11 May 2021

IWH Speaker Series

The health paradox of physically demanding work: What is it and should we be concerned?

Emerging research describes a physical activity paradox: physically demanding work characterized by heavy lifting, repetitive exertion and awkward body postures can increase a worker’s risk of cardiovascular conditions and mortality, going against our well-known understanding of the health benefits associated with regular physical activity during leisure time. Dr. Aviroop Biswas explains what we know so far about this physical activity paradox and shares findings from his own research about the paradox among Canadian workers.

8 Jun 2021

IWH Speaker Series

What can hospital emergency records tell us about the incidence of work-related traumatic injuries in Ontario?

Cameron Mustard, Institute for Work & Health

Every year, hospital emergency departments in Ontario treat an average of 100,000 cases of work-related injuries or illnesses. What can the records of these cases tell us about the reporting of work-related injuries and illnesses to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)? In this presentation, Dr. Cameron Mustard shares findings from research comparing WSIB claims data with records of hospital emergency department visits over a fifteen-year period (2004-2017).

19 Sep 2021

Conference

2021 World Congress on Safety and Health at Work

The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) is one of the national co-hosts of the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, coming to Toronto September 19-22, 2021. Originally scheduled to take place in the fall of 2020, the XXII World Congress has been moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sponsored by the International Labour Organization and the International Social Security Association, the Congress is the world’s largest event for the international occupational health and safety community.

Past events

6 Apr 2021

IWH Speaker Series

Differences in the return-to-work process for work-related psychological and musculoskeletal conditions: findings from an Australian cohort

Peter Smith, Institute for Work & Health

Many workers’ compensation agencies across Canada have begun accepting claims for chronic mental stress that results from work. In other jurisdictions where psychological claims have been accepted, such types of claims have been linked with greater costs and longer time off compared to physical claims. The potential reasons for these differences have not been well understood. In this IWH Speaker Series presentation, Dr. Peter Smith presents findings from a cohort study of 869 workers’ compensation claimants in the Australian state of Victoria. He highlights differences between the two groups of claimants (psychological and musculoskeletal) in their experiences of the claim and return-to-work processes, and discusses lessons for Canadian jurisdictions.

23 Feb 2021

IWH Speaker Series

Fragmentation in the future of work: Exploring the impact of the changing nature of work on vulnerable workers

Arif Jetha, Institute for Work & Health

The future of work is characterized by diverse social, technological, economic, environmental and political changes, including artificial intelligence and the automation of jobs, an aging workforce, climate change. These are expected to disrupt every industry, transform working conditions and affect the types and availability of jobs. Despite a growing discourse on the changing nature of work, there is a limited understanding of how the future of work will impact vulnerable labour market groups. In this presentation, Dr. Arif Jetha outlines nine major trends that may shape the future of work and have a specific impact on vulnerable workers.

2 Feb 2021

IWH Speaker Series

Ontario Life After Workplace Injury Study: What we've learned so far

Cameron Mustard, Institute for Work & Health

The Ontario Life After Workplace Injury Study (OLAWIS) is looking at the long-term health and labour market outcomes of workers disabled by work injury or illness after they are no longer receiving benefits or services from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. As part of the study, over 1,130 eligible claimants were interviewed at 18 months post-injury and asked about a wide range of factors, including their work status and income, physical and mental health, case manager and health-care provider interactions, and employer return-to-work support. In this presentation, Dr. Cameron Mustard shares what the researchers have learned so far about this group of injured workers.

View all past events