Dr. Curtis Breslin
Dr. F. Curtis Breslin is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, which he joined 2000. He is also a professor at Seneca College in the School of English and Liberal Studies, where he teaches courses in psychology and research methods. He is also an associate professor in the social and behavioural health sciences stream at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Breslin obtained his PhD in clinical psychology from Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. He is also a registered psychologist with the Ontario College of Psychologists.
Breslin's current research interests are young and new worker injury epidemiology, injury prevention, and the relationship between disabilities and workplace injuries.
“What drives me as a researcher is the idea that the work I do could make a difference down the line on practices and policies. I’ve been fortunate enough to watch the uptake of the message that workers are four times more likely to be injured on the job in the first month. That message, which I see everywhere now, came from one of my study findings many years back. It’s very rewarding when my research results have an influence on policy.” – Dr. Curtis Breslin
Research areas
Projects
- Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED): A partnership to deliver workplace resources to sustain employment of people with chronic, episodic conditions. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Signature Initiative. Ongoing.
- Evaluating the impact of mandatory awareness training on occupational health and safety vulnerability in Ontario. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ontario Ministry of Labour's Research Opportunities Program. Completed.
- Addressing literacy and numeracy gaps among workers in an OHS training program: a pilot study. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour's Research Opportunities Program, Max Bell Foundation. Completed.
- Developing a framework for understanding and measuring OHS vulnerability. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Completed.
- Effectiveness and implementation of health and safety programs in small enterprises: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative literature. Completed. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Breslin FC, Dollack J, Mahood Q, Maas ET, Laberge M, Smith PM. Are new workers at elevated risk for work injury? A systematic review. Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2019;76(9):694-701. doi:10.1136/oemed-2018-105639.
- Jetha A, Bowring J, Furrie A, Smith F, Breslin FC. Supporting the transition into employment: a study of Canadian young adults living with disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2019;29(1):140-149. doi:10.1007/s10926-018-9772-z.
- Samano-Rios ML, IJaz S, Ruotsalainen J, Breslin FC, Gummesson K, Verbeek J. Occupational safety and health interventions to protect young workers from hazardous work: a scoping review. Safety Science. 2019 389-403. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.11.024.
- Breslin FC, Lay AM, Jetha A, Smith PM. Examining occupational health and safety vulnerability among Canadian workers with disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2018;40(18):2138-2143. doi:10.1080/09638288.2017.1327985.
- Lay AM, Saunders R, Lifshen M, Breslin FC, LaMontagne AD, Tompa E, Smith PM. The relationship between occupational health and safety vulnerability and workplace injury. Safety Science. 2017;94:85. doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2016.12.021.
Speaker Series presentations
- Geographic variation in work injuries: An analysis of individual and area-level factors within Canada. IWH Speaker Series. November 13, 2013.
- Bridging the safety gap for vulnerable young workers using youth employment centres. IWH Speaker Series. September 15, 2009.
- A systematic review of health and safety in small enterprises: Findings from quantitative and qualitative literature. IWH Speaker Series. February 24, 2009.
Interviews and articles
- What research can do: IWH research helps prevention system shift focus from young to new workers. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 97, Summer 2019.
- Review confirms prevention system’s message about injury risks and new workers. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 97, Summer 2019.
- Workers with disabilities report greater OHS vulnerability. Canadian Occupational Safety: Thomson Reuters (Toronto, ON). November 17, 2017. Available from: http://www.cos-mag.com/personal-process-safety/35239-workers-with-disabilities-report-greater-ohs-vulnerability/
- Workers with disabilities report greater hazard exposure and lower protection . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 90, Fall 2017.
- Vulnerable workers: Practical steps to protect new and young workers. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). July 27, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/insider-top-stories/vulnerable-workers