Health and safety training
IWH research on occupational health and safety (OHS) training focuses on its effectiveness—from the effectiveness of delivery methods and contents to the effectiveness of training programs overall. OHS training, mandated by workplace health and safety laws in jurisdictions across Canada and beyond, is considered an important part of managing workplace hazards and risks. Such training may involve instruction on identifying occupational risks and how to control them, learning about safe workplace practices and how to properly use personal protective equipment.
Featured
Research Highlights
In-person or online: Does it make a difference for OHS training?
Online formats for occupational health and safety (OHS) training have gained popularity in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. But are they as effective as in-person training?
Published: April 4, 2025
Impact case study
IWH evaluation of the effectiveness of the Ontario working-at-heights training standard
An IWH study on the effectiveness of Ontario's mandatory training was valuable to the labour ministry in several ways—including in reinforcing the value of program evaluations.
Published: November 21, 2023
Journal article
Journal article
Occupational health and safety vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees
Published: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 2018
IWH in the media
Baranyai: Workplace training key for safety of newcomers
A local store manager was eager to help newcomers from Syria find employment, but he made something clear. Before they could work a single shift, they would need sufficient language skills to complete job safety training. This safety-first approach is not a universal experience among recent immigrants, according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health, writes columnist Robin Baranyai.
Published: The London Free Press, April 2018
At Work article
Embedding essential skills training in OHS lessons can boost learning: study
The work of rigging and hoisting loads comes with significant hazard. Adding to the injury prevention challenge is the fact that many people doing this work have literacy and numeracy skills gaps. A recent IWH study tried out a novel approach to address these learning needs.
Published: April 2018
Tools and guides
Essential Skills and OHS Training
This guide, based on a research collaboration led by the Institute for Work & Health, provides an overview of the process involved in modifying the curriculum of an existing occupational health and safety (OHS) training program in order to address gaps in essential skills among worker trainees.
Published: April 2018
Project report
Project report
Safe employment integration of recent immigrants and refugees
This report details the findings of an Institute for Work & Health study on employment preparation process of newcomers in Ontario, with the aim of determining key training and resource needs and opportunities related to safely integrating recent immigrants and refugees into the labour market.
Published: March 2018
At Work article
Newcomers often lack OHS protection and information in their precarious first jobs
They face difficulty finding work, due to language barriers, foreign credentials or lack of Canadian experience. Their first jobs are precarious, sometimes unpaid. To top it off, they receive next to no training on OHS and employment standards issues, as a new IWH study has found.
Published: February 2018
IWH in the media
New immigrants vulnerable to workplace accidents
New arrivals in Canada face additional vulnerabilities on the job, according to studies by Institute for Work and Health (IWH) in Toronto, writes Ian Harvey.
Published: Daily Commercial News, January 2018
Impact case study
Concerns about newcomers’ safety at work lead organizations to IWH toolkit
Organizations working with recent immigrants are incorporating parts of the Institute's toolkit for teaching newcomers about workplace health and safety into their programming. Organizations in Ontario, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and even as far away as Australia, say the resource is just what they were looking for.
Published: December 2017
IWH in the media
Ontario plans to review Working at Heights training
“Working at heights is one of the most dangerous types of work in the construction sector,” says Dr. Cameron Mustard, president and senior scientist, Institute for Work & Health, in an article on Ontario's plans to review working-at-heights training standards. “By working with stakeholders to evaluate the WAH standards, we will help ensure construction workers are protected on the job and will return home safely at the end of each workday.”
Published: Equipment Journal, December 2017
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Addressing essential skills gaps in an OHS training program: a pilot study
Can an occupational health and safety (OHS) training program be improved by modifying it to address gaps in essential skills? In a recent study, a research team led by Dr. Ron Saunders modified a hoisting and rigging training program offered by the LIUNA Local 506 training centre. The changes were made to address trainees’ skills gaps in numeracy and document use that were related to the job. In this plenary, the team share findings regarding the effect of modifying the curriculum on trainee learning and discuss suggestions for improving training efforts within the construction sector.
Published: November 2017