Dr. Lynda Robson
Scientist
PhD, Biochemistry, University of Toronto
Staff email
Staff extension
416-927-2027 ext. 2164
Dr. Lynda Robson is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, where she has worked since 1997. She is an adjunct professor in the School of Occupational and Public Health at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is also a member of the Canadian Standards Association Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (Z45001) Technical Committee.
Robson obtained her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Toronto, but later changed fields through additional education at the university's former Graduate Department of Community Health.
Robson's research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to study occupational health and safety (OHS) management, organizational change in OHS and the evaluation of prevention programs, especially OHS training programs.
“The lab research in which I was involved, though ultimately intended to benefit people, was in itself lacking in the social/human dimension. Now, I often study people and their organizations, and more often interact with users of the research, and I find that personally rewarding." – Dr. Lynda Robson
Projects
- Champions as social agents of change: what can we learn from worker well-being initiatives?. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Construction union effect. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), Ontario Construction Secretariat. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Evaluating the effectiveness of distance learning in delivering Ontario's JHSC certification training. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Moving the needle on preventing workplace fatalities and critical incidents in Ontario through data linkage. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing.
- Occupational injury risks in Ontario. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). Ongoing.
Publications
- Yazdani A, Bigelow P, Carlan N, Naqvi S, Robson LS, Steenstra I, McMillan K, Wells R. Development and evaluation of a questionnaire to document worker exposures to mechanical loading at a workplace level. IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. 2016;4(1):38-53. doi:10.1080/21577323.2016.1179701.
- Tompa E, Hogg-Johnson S, Amick B, Wang Y, Shen E, Mustard C, Robson LS, Saunders R. Financial incentives of experience rating in workers' compensation: new evidence from a program change in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2013;55(3):292-304. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e31827827fa.
- Robson LS, Schulte P, Amick B, Stephenson C, Irvin E. Response to Weinstock and Slatin's (2012) critique of IWH-NIOSH systematic review of the effectiveness of OSH training. New Solutions. 2013;23(2):227-232. doi:10.2190/NS.23.2.b.
- Veltri A, Pagell M, Johnston D, Tompa E, Robson LS, Amick B, Hogg-Johnson S, Macdonald S. Understanding safety in the context of business operations: an exploratory study using case studies. Safety Science. 2013;55:119-134. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2012.12.008.
- Robson LS, Macdonald S, Gray GC, Van Eerd D, Bigelow P. A descriptive study of the OHS management auditing methods used by public sector organizations conducting audits of workplaces: implications for audit reliability and validity. Safety Science. 2012;50:181-189. doi:110.1016/j.ssci.2011.08.006.
Speaker Series presentations
- A model of "breakthrough change" in workplace health and safety performance. IWH Speaker Series. May 13, 2014.
- A systematic review of the effectiveness of training and education for the protection of workers. IWH Speaker Series. March 9, 2010.
Research summaries
- Evidence-based questionnaire helps JHSCs pinpoint strengths, weaknesses. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, August 2015.
- Success stories offer new guidance to organizations on path of OHS change . At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, November 2014.
- OHS champion has pivotal role in breakthrough change: study. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, May 2014.
- Breakthrough change: Finding and describing firms that make large OHS improvements. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, October 2012.
- Training promotes safer practices. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, July 2012.
Media coverage
- Making the business case for safety: Don't sacrifice safety for operations. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). September 17, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/insider-top-stories/making-business-case-safety-dont-sacrifice-safety-operations
- Managing your OHS program: A case study on breakthrough changes in safety. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). April 20, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/insider-top-stories/managing-ohs-program-case-study-breakthrough-changes-safety
- New IWH study looks at why companies make big improvements. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). March 23, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/search-by-index/safety-programs/new-iwh-study-looks-at-why-companies-make-big-ohs-improvements
- External influences motivate firms to improve OHS performance. Canadian Occupational Safety Newswire: Thomson Reuters Canada (Toronto, ON). March 17, 2016. Available from: http://www.cos-mag.com/safety/safety-stories/4969-external-influences-motivate-firms-to-improve-ohs-performance-study.html
- External factors influence improvements in workplace safety performance: IWH study. Canadian Chiropractor: Annex Business Media (Simcoe, ON). March 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.canadianchiropractor.ca/programs/external-factors-influence-improvements-in-workplace-safety-performance-iwh-study-4342