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Latest news releases

Injured workers have higher rates of opioid poisonings than the general population: study

La version française suit October 17, 2024 (Toronto, Ont.)—People who have previously experienced a work-related injury are more likely to experience opioid poisonings and other opioid-related harms than the general population. That’s according to research conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC), using data from 1.7 million Ontario workers who had an accepted lost-time workers’ compensation claim between 1983 and 2019. The study found higher rates of opioid-related harms in this group of formerly injured… Read more

Worker injuries due to falls from heights declined after Ontario made training standardized and mandatory, study finds

November 3, 2023 (Toronto, Ont.)—In the three-year period after Ontario made working-at-heights training in the construction sector standardized and mandatory, the rate of fall-from-height injuries leading to time off work fell by 19 per cent, a study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) has found. According to the study, published today in the American Journal of Public Health (doi:10.2105/AJPH.2023.307440), this decline was larger than that seen in other Canadian provinces: a six… Read more

Addressing work conditions to improve public health: a series in The Lancet

October 12, 2023 (Toronto, Ont.)—Working conditions can have an impact on health and unequal health outcomes across the population. As a result, decision-makers from across different government departments should take greater note of work as a social determinant of health. That is a key message from a series of three papers published today in one of the world’s leading medical journals, The Lancet. In the series, the authors argue that work is not used to its full potential as a means to address health inequities. “Work is an undervalued lever for improving population… Read more

Only cannabis use at or before work linked with higher work injury risks

July 31, 2023 (Toronto, Ont.)—Are workers who use cannabis at greater risk of having an injury at work? Yes, but only those workers who use cannabis during or before a work shift. Workers who only use cannabis outside of work hours are at no greater risk of getting injured at work than workers who do not use cannabis at all. That’s according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) published today in the Canadian Journal of Public Health (doi:10.17269/s41997-023-00795-0). The study,… Read more

New social innovation lab to build employer confidence in hiring and supporting persons with disabilities

May 18, 2023 (Toronto, Ontario)—Launching today is a six-year initiative that flips on its head the traditional approach to increasing the employment of persons with disabilities. Instead of focusing on the resources and skills that ensure persons with disabilities are job-ready—where most attention has previously been paid—Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) is focusing on building the capacity of employers and workplaces to recruit, hire, onboard, accommodate, train, mentor and promote persons with disabilities. Funded by the federal government’s New Frontiers… Read more

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Scientists at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) are experts in many workplace health, safety and disability prevention topics, including injury prevention, return to work, workers' compensation, labour market trends and more. For a list of areas in which IWH has specific expertise, click on the button. To set up an interview with a scientist, see the media contact information below.

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Media contacts

Uyen Vu
Communications Manager
Institute for Work & Health
613-979-7742 (cell)
uvu@iwh.on.ca

Andrea Larney
Communications Associate
Institute for Work & Health
289-387-0153 (cell)
416-927-2027 ext. 2156 (office)
alarney@iwh.on.ca