IWH in the media

Small businesses that put worker safety strategies and resources in place soon after beginning operation can help “decrease injuries and related burden,” according to a study from the Institute for Work and Health.

The “Keep Your Bits” videos that are part of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s latest campaign to promote workplace safety among young adults are meant to be funny — not because the content is light, but to get the attention of young people, says the WSIB. As business reporter Patty Winsa writes, job safety is especially important for young and new workers, who are three times more likely to be injured within their first month of employment compared to experienced workers, according to the Institute for Work and Health.

There has been a rise in the number of Canadian workers going on short-term disability leave of all kinds since the pandemic, and experts say an increase in mental health leave is largely responsible, writes business reporter Estella Ren. Injury and leave data provided by IWH's Dr. Peter Smith help paint the picture.

In an article on the link between remote work and feelings of isolation and mental distress, reporter Jim Wilson mentions Dr. Kathleen Dobson's work with CSA Group on an estimate of the mental health burden on Canada.

An article about a Manulife report also references a 2019 study by IWH. It found better workplace conditions are linked not only with lower risks of mental illnesses, but also much improved worker mental health.

Compared to the overall labour force in Ontario and Alberta, construction workers are almost twice as likely to die because of suicide and are two and a half times as likely to die because of substance use. Those are some of the early findings from a new analysis by the Institute for Work and Health, which identifies what some are calling a crisis among construction workers, writes Lindsay Kelly.

When it comes to employees’ psychological health, Australian employers are increasingly focusing on reducing psychosocial risks in the workplace — and there are lessons for Canadian employers in this approach, writes Blake Wolfe, reporting on a webinar presentation by Dr. Peter Smith hosted by the Institute for Work & Health, during a webinar hosted by the organization on Tuesday.

When HR and occupational health and safety (OHS) data are managed in concert, organizations gain a richer picture of workforce health – particularly in recognition of employee mental health as key to productivity and success. That was one of IWH's Dr. Peter Smith's comments in an article by Jeffrey R. Smith on why safety data is a strategic imperative for HR.

Small businesses often experience higher worker injury and fatality rates than large organizations in the same sector due to limited health and safety knowledge and resources. A recent study conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) addressed gaps in research on new businesses – often classified as small businesses – and occupational health and safety (OHS).

Ontario's safety community gathered for a full day of research, policy debate and practical insight. Dr. Arif Jetha, associate scientific director and scientist at the Institute for Work and Health (IWH), delivered some of the day's most striking numbers, writes Shane Mercer.