Economic evaluations

Economic evaluations in health and safety calculate the costs and benefits of injury, illness and disability prevention programs, both workplace-based and at the systems level. IWH researchers not only answer questions about how and what to measure in an economic evaluation, but also conduct economic evaluations themselves as part of larger studies determining the effectiveness (in terms of both costs and other benefits) of occupational health and safety, return-to-work and other work-related programs that affect health.

Featured

Wooden block letters spelling out R O I, with colourful arrows pointing to them
At Work article

IWH estimates point to positive return on OHS investment in three Ontario sectors

An estimate of the return-on-investment in occupational health and safety is not a figure that many individual employers can easily come up with on their own. A team at IWH has come up with an estimate for three Ontario sectors, based on previous research and WSIB data.
Published: July 29, 2022
Young landscaping worker holds hedge trimmer
At Work article

IWH study estimates costs of non-melanoma skin cancers due to sun exposure at work

IWH economist and senior scientist conducted the first estimate of the economic burden of non-melanoma skin cancers from work-related sun exposure in Canada.
Published: April 2018
Science Daily logo
IWH in the media

Hidden costs of skin cancer caused by workplace sun exposure revealed

Skin cancer cases attributable to work-related sun exposure could be costing millions of dollars, and must be better addressed by policymakers, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.
Published: Science Daily, April 2018
Journal article
Journal article

The economic burden of bladder cancer due to occupational exposure

Published: Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, March 2018
Sign on asbestos remove site warning of cancer and lung disease hazard due to asbestos exposure
Impact case study

IWH research raises awareness of the economic burden of asbestos-related disease as Canada commits to ban

An IWH study estimating the lifetime cost of newly diagnosed cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer due to work-related asbestos exposures in a single year garnered much media and public interest, and was cited by Canadian government in its analysis of the impact of its regulation banning asbestos.
Published: March 2018
Project
Project

Evaluating prevention strategies to reduce the risk of work-related cancers in Ontario’s construction sector

An IWH study is estimating future incidences cancers among construction workers in Ontario as a result of workplace exposures, and estimating the costs and benefits of intervention programs to reduce these exposures.
Status: Completed 2021
asbestos sign posted at school door
At Work article

New cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in one year cost $1.9B

First-ever estimate of the economic burden of asbestos looks at newly diagnosed cases in Canada in 2011.
Published: August 2016
Project report
Project report

Economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma in Canada due to occupational asbestos exposure (2016)

This June 2016 presentation provides an early look at the results of an economic burden study on the costs to Canadian society of new cases of lung cancers and mesothelioma attributable to occupational asbestos exposures in a particular year.
Published: June 2016
Two health-care workers lean on each other, smiling
At Work article

Peer coaching on patient lifts lowers injury, but at a small cost

An IWH cost-benefit analysis finds a training program on patient lifts is nearly cost-neutral while lowering injury rates by a third.
Published: April 2016
Project
Project

Cost to Canadians of excluding people with disabilities from the labour market

What is the cost to Canadians of excluding people with disabilities from fully participating in the paid labour market? An IWH research team is coming up with the answer.
Status: Completed 2022