Research that matters to protecting the health and safety of workers

The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) is a Canadian leader in work injury and disability prevention research. An independent, not-for-profit organization, IWH conducts and shares actionable research to promote, protect and improve the health and safety of working people.

Latest news & findings

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IWH website down at some point during week of August 3-7

The Institute for Work & Health is moving offices the week of August 3-7. As a result, our website will be down for some time during the week — likely the latter half — as we move the servers from one location to the other. Sorry in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

A stack of cardboard moving boxes

We're moving!

After nearly 20 years at 481 University Avenue, the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) has to move out to make way for a 55-storey condominium. We’re not going far. We’ll still be in the same Toronto neighbourhood, close to the Dundas Street and University Avenue intersection. As of August 2020, our new address is:

Institute for Work & Health
400 University Avenue, Suite 1800
Toronto, ON M5G 1S5

Our phone and fax numbers will remain the same.

A vista of a small town in British Columbia

Urban-rural differences in work disability days not always as expected

We know from past studies that injured workers in rural areas are likely to be off work longer than injured workers in cities. Now, a study involving IWH scientists takes a closer look at urban-rural differences in work disability across several provinces and industrial sectors. It finds a more nuanced picture, one in which injured workers in the more rural areas are not necessarily the ones with the longest disability durations.

See the Research Highlights

A man kneels as he works with decking boards on a patio

Review summary explores relationship between work and osteoarthritis

Bending, kneeling, climbing or lifting. Which of these work activities, among others, are associated with a greater risk of osteoarthritis (OA) in men and women? A systematic review conducted by IWH—the first to include a wide range of joints affected by OA—are now summarized in our latest Sharing Best Evidence. 

Read the summary

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5 Things We Think You Should Know

Every year, we pull together five of IWH's most practical research findings from the past year for professionals in occupational health and safety (OHS). The 2020 edition of 5 Things We Think You Should Know is now available. What five key health and safety findings did we choose for you this year?

Get the handout

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IN THE CURRENT ISSUE...

Nearly six in 10 health-care workers felt anxiety at levels surpassing a threshold for clinical screening—and inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) was a significant factor, according to a survey conducted in April by OHCOW, with analytical support from IWH

One in 12 surveyed workers use cannabis at or just before work, a level unchanged since before recreational cannabis was legalized
 
Tips on setting up a temporary home office using ergonomics principles—and stretches to use if you feel aches and pains
 

Read the issue

Tools and guides

Integrate evidence-based policies and practices into your occupational health and safety, return-to-work and rehabilitation programs. IWH has created a number of tools and guides based on our research findings that can help improve program outcomes.

View tools and guides

Impact case studies

Find out how IWH research is making a difference. Read our impact case studies, in which policy-makers, workplaces and other stakeholders in health, safety and disability prevention tell how IWH research helped improve their policies, programs and practices.

Go to case studies

Research summaries

Whether it’s a policy briefing, a systematic review summary or the highlights of a specific research project, we’ve compiled a number of plain-language summaries to help you understand the research we’re doing, what we have found, and how we found it.

Get the summaries

Events

Learn directly from the researchers themselves about their latest findings in health, safety and disability prevention. We host regular presentations (in person or live stream) through our IWH Speaker Series and our annual Nachemson lecture.

See upcoming events