Past events

IWH Speaker Series

Estimating the economic burden of work injuries and illnesses in the European Union

Emile Tompa, Institute for Work & Health; Amir Mofidi, Institute for Work & Health

Knowing the economic burden of work-related illnesses and injuries in a country can help policy-makers set priorities. In a recent project involving five European Union countries, Institute for Work & Health Senior Scientist and labour economist Dr. Emile Tompa, along with post-doctoral fellow Amir Mofidi, developed and executed a new framework for such an estimate. In this presentation, Tompa discusses the approach, its potential, as well as results of the five-country study.

IWH Speaker Series

The effectiveness of COR in preventing work injury: lessons from Alberta and B.C.

Christopher McLeod, Institute for Work & Health

Certificate of Recognition (COR) programs are voluntary audits that recognize employers for having strong occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. In this presentation, IWH Scientist Dr. Chris McLeod shares his research in British Columbia and Alberta on the effectiveness of COR programs in preventing work-related injury.

Conference

30th Annual Schedule 2 Employers' Group Conference

On October 22-23 in north Toronto, Ontario's Schedule 2 Employers' Group holds its 30th annual conference on workplace wellness, workplace health and safety, workers' compensation and disability management. Two IWH scientists are among those delivering educational sessions: Dr. Dwayne Van Eerd on supporting employees with depression at work and Dr. Emile Tompa on a new pan-Canadian strategy on disability and work.

IWH Speaker Series

Trends in depression and anxiety among Canadian labour force participants (2000-2016)

Kathleen Dobson, Institute for Work & Health

Despite much effort aimed at improving the mental health of Canadians, we still know little about the prevalence of two common mental health conditions across the working population. In this presentation, IWH Research Associate Kathleen Dobson shares her doctoral research exploring trends in depression and anxiety disorders in the Canadian workforce, from 2000 to 2016. She also highlights the challenges in creating high-quality population-based evidence about the labour force’s mental health.

Conference

Lancaster House 2019 Health & Safety and Workplace Safety & Insurance Conferences

Lancaster House, in association with the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, presents the 2019 Health & Safety Conference and Workplace Safety & Insurance Conference on October 1 in Toronto. IWH Senior Scientist Dr. Emile Tompa is co-presenting a keynote address on the business case for accommodating people with mental illness at work.

Conference

OOHNA 48th Annual Conference and Exhibition

The Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association (OOHNA)'s annual conference, Keeping Workers Well 2019, is taking place June 6-7 in Mississauga, Ont. It offers keynote speakers, break-out sessions, optional workshops, a trade show and an evening networking event. IWH will be exhibiting at the conference on Thursday, June 6.

IWH Speaker Series

The link between workplace injury and fatality risks and the use of substances affecting the central nervous system

Nancy Carnide, Institute for Work & Health

Prescription and recreational drugs that act on the central nervous system can have many adverse effects, including cognitive and psychomotor impairment. An IWH systematic review has looked into the link between workplace injury and fatality risks and the use of such substances—including opioids, benzodiazepines and cannabis. In this presentation, Dr. Nancy Carnide shares findings from that systematic review.

Systematic Review Workshop

Spring 2019 Systematic Review Workshop

This three-day workshop teaches participants how to plan and carry out a basic systematic review, understand the appropriate methods for more complex analysis, interpret the results of a meta-analysis and accurately communicate the results and interpretation of a review.

Conference

Partners in Prevention 2019 Health & Safety Conference and Trade Show

Partners in Prevention 2019, taking place April 30-May 1 in Mississauga, Ont., is one of Canada's largest health and safety conferences and trade shows, featuring 50 breakout educational sessions and workshops, as well as over 400 exhibitors on the trade floor. IWH will be there at Booth #525.

Conference

Mining Health and Safety Conference

The 21st annual Mining Health and Safety Conference, hosted by Workplace Safety North, is taking place April 9-11, 2019 in Sudbury, Ont. IWH will be exhibiting at the conference on Wednesday, April 10. Drop by and say hello.

Other events

John R. Evans Lectureship in Global Health by Dr. Joan Benach

On April 11, 2019 in Toronto, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health presents the John R. Evans Lectureship in Global Health, featuring Dr. Joan Benach, director of the Health Inequalities Research Group at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain.

IWH Speaker Series

Evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of Ontario’s working-at-heights training standards

Lynda Robson, Institute for Work & Health

In 2015, Ontario's Ministry of Labour implemented regulations defining working-at-heights (WAH) training program standards and establishing a program for approving training providers in the province. In this presentation, Dr. Lynda Robson shares findings from a study that examined the reach and effectiveness of the training standard.

Conference

Disability and Work in Canada 2018: A partnering strategy for moving forward

This conference will review a proposed national strategy to improve the level of employment of persons with disabilities in Canada, aiming to foster broad consensus on the key elements of that draft strategy.

IWH Speaker Series

Assessing workplace training for skin exposure prevention

Linn Holness, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease

For almost 20 years, the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has studied skin exposure prevention strategies, including worker training on this common hazard. In this presentation, Dr. Linn Holness shares research findings on training effectiveness, highlighting gaps, barriers and facilitators to training implementation.

Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture

Preventing occupational disease: Moving the agenda forward

Paul Demers, Occupational Cancer Research Centre

Exposures arising from work in high-income countries are understood to be responsible for 15 to 20 per cent of all lung cancers, 15 per cent of asthma cases, and varying proportions of many other diseases. There is a now a growing recognition that the burden will persist if we don’t pay increased regulatory and voluntary attention to occupational disease prevention. In the 2018 Nachemson lecture, Dr. Paul Demers will review the distinct research challenges in establishing a causal relationship between exposure to substances in occupational settings and the onset of disease. He will describe the process by which important international agencies establish a scientific consensus on disease causation arising from occupational exposures and the challenges of estimating the burden of occupational disease. He will also highlight past successes in occupational disease prevention in Canada and outline his perspective on opportunities to move the occupational disease prevention agenda in Canada in the decade ahead.

IWH Speaker Series

Promoting labour market transitions for young adults with chronic disabling conditions: a systematic review

Arif Jetha, Institute for Work & Health

Young adulthood is an important phase of life when most people establish their careers. And yet, it's a time when many young adults with disabling health conditions find themselves excluded from the labour market. A systematic review led by Dr. Arif Jetha examined work-focused interventions to support the transition of these young adults into the labour market. In this presentation, he shares findings and highlights the effectiveness of these interventions across different career stages and disability types.

IWH Speaker Series

Clearing the haze: Understanding how Canadian workers use and perceive cannabis at work

Nancy Carnide, Institute for Work & Health

Recreational cannabis is now legal in Canada and many surveys suggest employers are concerned about the potential implications for workplaces. In this presentation, Dr. Nancy Carnide shares preliminary findings of a survey of workers, conducted in June 2018, aimed at understanding patterns of workplace cannabis use and the social norms and perceptions about such use.

IWH Speaker Series

An impact analysis of two silica dust exposure reduction strategies

Emile Tompa, Institute for Work & Health

Crystalline silica dust exposure is common in the construction sector. Inhalation of silica dust is known to cause lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis. In this presentation, Dr. Emile Tompa examines the implementation of two approaches to reducing exposure: use of personal protective equipment (i.e. respirators) by all exposed individuals and use of engineering controls (e.g. wet method) wherever and whenever feasible. He shares findings from an impact analysis based on data spanning 30 years.

IWH Speaker Series

Introducing the new MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario

Richard Wells, Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD)

The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) kicks off Global Ergonomics Month with the launch of the new MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario. This initiative builds on a previous guideline and toolboxes, developed in 2005-2006 by the Ontario health and safety system under the auspices of the Occupational Safety and Health Council of Ontario (OSHCO). In this presentation, CRE-MSD's Dr. Richard Wells provides an overview of the updated content and the host of tools and resources to meet the needs of workplaces of all types and sizes. He also outlines the new guideline's three interlinked sources: Quick Start (an introductory guideline for micro and very small businesses), Basic and Comprehensive.

IWH Speaker Series

Challenges in designing organizational and system-level interventions to prevent work disability

William Shaw, University of Connecticut Health Center

Interventions to prevent work disability can vary widely. They can include: changes in laws and regulations; provider training and education; outreach and support to workers and supervisors; modified employer policies and practices; and changes in insurance and medical reimbursement policies. Given the very wide band of possible strategies in this area, researchers and policy makers face some serious design challenges when developing feasible and effective interventions. In this presentation, Dr. Bill Shaw discusses three intervention design issues: reach, implementation, and organizational structure. He draws on published and ongoing studies to discuss feasibility constraints, design assumptions and evaluation methods.