Illness/injury prevention
IWH has a long history of conducting research to provide practical guidance to employers, workers, OHS professionals and regulators about what works and what doesn’t in injury or illness prevention. This research targets the injury and illness prevention practices of workplaces, as well as the programs developed by governments, health and safety associations and others to support and motivate workplaces to adopt effective practices.
Featured
Impact case study
Saskatchewan’s construction safety group uses IWH tool to improve safety culture
This case study details how the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) members have been analyzing IWH-OPM scores to adjust their safety practices and how SCSA has been using the data to tailor their outreach.
Published: February 10, 2025
Issue Briefing
Cannabis use by workers before and after legalization in Canada
Since 2018, when non-medical use of cannabis was legalized in Canada, a pair of Institute for Work & Health (IWH) studies was conducted to explore the implications of this change for workplaces. This briefing sums up their findings.
Published: December 5, 2024
Journal article
Journal article
Preventing fall-from-height injuries in construction: effectiveness of a regulatory training standard
Published: Journal of Safety Research, September 2020
At Work article
Comparing the costs, benefits of silica dust prevention methods for construction workers
Construction workplaces can use different methods to reduce exposure to silica dust and protect workers from cancer down the road. But which methods should they opt for? A cost-benefit analysis led by IWH offers some guidance.
Published: August 2020
At Work article
Workers exposed to common hazards more likely to report their injuries: IWH study
Building upon research showing high rates of under-reporting, an IWH study explores factors linked to whether workers report their injuries to a workers' compensation board.
Published: August 2020
At Work article
Understanding challenges in hospitals’ workplace violence reporting systems
How consistently and reliably are hospital violence incidents reported in Ontario? An IWH research team surveyed workers at six hospitals in the province in 2017. Despite mandatory reporting, the results showed great variation in reporting patterns.
Published: August 2020
Project report
Project report
Musculoskeletal injury (MSI) prevention: a practical implementation resource for Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)
Published: June 2020
At Work article
What research can do: How IWH research is responding to COVID-19
COVID-19 affects the work and health of people in Canada and around the world in vastly different ways. Research on the experiences of workers, and the effects of the pandemic on their health, is essential. Here's how IWH researchers are responding.
Published: May 2020
At Work article
Supporting settlement agencies to raise OHS awareness among newcomers
Newcomers to Canada face a higher risk of workplace injury and illness, due in part to a lack of knowledge about their OHS rights and responsibilities. Settlement agencies can help raise this awareness, but they also need support from the prevention system to do so, according to a recent project.
Published: April 2020
IWH in the media
Understanding challenges in hospitals' workplace violence reporting systems
To address workplace violence, we need to understand the size of the problem. That requires having reporting systems that collect reliable and valid indicators of of workplace events, consistently over time and across workplaces. This is not easy, writes IWH's Dr. Peter Smith, drawing on two studies about reporting patterns and challenges at Ontario's hospitals.
Published: Contact, April 2020
Research Highlights
Exploring the health and safety risks facing ride-share drivers
Ride-share drivers face physical and mental health risks that are not only similar to, but also distinct from, those of taxi drivers. Beyond the risks experienced by taxi drivers, ride-share drivers face stressors unique to this form of work.
Published: March 2020
At Work article
Can an eight-item questionnaire pick up on real-world differences in OHS practice?
How well can a set of eight questions capture something as broad and multi-faceted as an organization’s OHS policies and practices? An IWH study examines practices and policies at organizations that had completed the IWH-OPM. It finds consistent patterns in how high- and medium-scorers approach OHS.
Published: February 2020