What's new

Workers new to a job, regardless of their age, face higher risks of injury. This workplace health and safety message is based on several studies—including some by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH)—and it has spread far and wide. However, it was only recently that a systematic review on newness and injury risk was carried out. The review, conducted by IWH, confirms a link between newness and the risk of acute injuries—but is inconclusive on the link between newness and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Research suggests that occupational health and safety (OHS) and health promotion programs provide greater benefits to workers’ overall health when they are integrated within an organization’s health and safety strategy. To learn about the types of workplaces where such integration might be easier to implement, a new IWH study set out to learn the common characteristics of Ontario workplaces that offer both. Findings are now summarized in a new Research Highlights.

The latest issue of the Institute for Work & Health's quarterly newsletter, At Work, is now out. In the Summer 2019 issue, read about retirement expectations among boomers with chronic conditions, the use of IWH's leading indicators in a health and safety assessment tool built for Manitoba's building construction employers, the economic case for raising worker awareness about caregiving supports, and more. 

As the average age of Canadian workers continues to rise, employers may wonder about the effects on work injury, recovery, return to work and remaining at work. Some may expect that risks of injury are higher among older workers, that their injuries are more severe, or that timelines to recover and return to work are longer. However, findings from recent studies, including several conducted at IWH, paint a more nuanced picture. We summarized the evidence in an article published this spring in the Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association (OOHNA) Journal.

Wage subsidies and other financial supports are widely used by Canadian governments to encourage employers to hire people with disabilities. Yet, employers, disability advocates, service providers and people with disabilities hold strong and often polarized views about the merits of these incentives. What's more, the research on the effectiveness of these policy instruments is surprisingly scarce. That's why an IWH team, in a new research project, is setting out to produce guidelines and resources on best use of financial incentives.  

Congratulations to Dr. Aviroop Biswas, who joined the Institute as associate scientist in May, when he completed his two-year Mustard post-doctoral fellowship at IWH. Biswas holds a PhD in health services research at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. He was a recipient of a doctoral research fellowship from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto’s Ted Goldberg Award for academic excellence and promise in health services research.

Better psychosocial work conditions—greater job control, social support and job security—are linked with workers having reduced risks of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. But a new study by IWH suggests they’re also linked with a greater likelihood of workers having flourishing mental health. Indeed, psychosocial work factors have a stronger link to positive mental well-being than to the likelihood of poor mental health.

Ground your return-to-work programs and policies on evidence. Every April, the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) highlights five research findings from the previous year that we think can make a difference to workplace injury and disability prevention programs. We now unveil a new variation, "5 things we think you should know about RTW." It sums up five recommendations for improving your return-to-work and stay-at-work practices, based on recent research from IWH.  

Occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals, get ready to take a break from the day-to-day issues and take in the big picture. In a little over a year, the most forward-thinking OHS policy-makers and practitioners from around the globe will gather in Toronto for the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. With the theme "Prevention in the Connected Age," the October 4-7, 2020, event will be your chance to hear and share ideas about the OHS challenges and innovations coming over the horizon.  

Women working in Ontario’s education sector are four to six times more likely than their male counterparts to require time off work due to physical assaults on the job.This is according to a recent study from the Institute for Work & Health that looked at workplace violence rates among men and women across various sectors.

Congratulations to IWH Associate Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha, who has been awarded a grant from the Government of Canada's New Frontiers in Research Fund. The grant, announced this week, will support Jetha in a new research project examining the future of work and how the changing labour market may impact young people with disabilities.

Prescription and recreational drugs that act on the central nervous system—for example, opioids, benzodiazepines and cannabis, among others—can have many adverse effects, including cognitive and psychomotor impairments. An IWH systematic review examined the links between the use of such substances and workplace injury and fatality risks. On May 28, IWH Associate Scientist Dr. Nancy Carnide shares findings from that systematic review at an IWH Speaker Series presentation.

To help you mark this year’s North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, taking place now from May 5-11, we offer you “5 things we think you should know”—five important research findings from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) in the past year. We suggest you share these findings with your work colleagues and peers. They can give rise to good discussions—this week or any week of the year.

The Institute is seeking a strategic foresight specialist for a project coordinator position. This person will work on a federally funded research project examining the future of work for young people with disabilities. The Canadian labour market is undergoing a substantial shift with the rise of automation and precarious work. What are the implications for young people with disabilities, who already face barriers accessing the labour market? 

The Spring 2019 issue of At Work is out! In this issue, read about a study evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of Ontario's mandatory working-at-heights training standard. Learn about the impact of unpaid caregiving responsibilities on women's work. See the trendlines for workplace violence in the two most at-risk sectors, broken down by gender. 

The National Day of Mourning, held April 28 every year, is a day to remember all those who have lost their lives or suffered health consequences due to work hazards. Many of the Institute's partner organizations in the prevention system are sharing stories or holding events to mark the day.

Falls from heights are a significant occupational health and safety hazard. In 2015, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour implemented a mandatory training program to better protect construction workers who work at heights. An evaluation study by a team at the Institute for Work & Health has found that the training had high uptake across the province. It also led to a decline in claims rates due to falls targeted by the training—especially among very small employers and construction subsectors with the most frequent fall injuries.

Are you going to Partners in Prevention on April 30-May 1? Come by our booth (Booth #525) to check out the latest IWH research findings and tools, and to pick up your copy of our popular handout, “5 things we think you should know.” While you’re there, get details about the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, a global forum on emerging challenges and cutting-edge best practices in occupational health and safety. The World Congress 2020, co-hosted by IWH and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), is coming to Toronto October 4-7, 2020.

For the three in five Canadians with arthritis who are of working age, a diagnosis can have considerable impact on work. The Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), a Canada-wide, patient-driven grassroots organization, recently developed a set of resources for patients on managing the condition at work. To develop the resources, CAPA surveyed its members on employment needs and integrated research, including studies conducted by IWH. The Institute’s Dr Arif Jetha, especially, worked closely with CAPA to provide the evidence behind the messages. 

The burden of caring for an older relative falls more on women than on men, and it’s showing up in women's higher rates of work disruption. According to a new Institute for Work & Health study, women are more likely than men to stop working, to work part-time or to take time off work during the week due to eldercare. The open access study is published in the Journals of Gerontology.  

Older workers with diabetes or arthritis experience more fatigue and pain. But how different are they from healthy older workers in their need for, and use of, workplace accommodation and supports? An open access IWH study examined this question. It also looked at differences in work outcomes when people have access to supports when they’re needed.

Precarious employment is prevalent in low-income countries where as many as three in four workers are employed in the informal economy. Work precarity is also on the rise in high-income countries, where its effects are felt most by young workers, women, migrants and ethnic minorities. On April 11, Dr. Joan Benach, director of the Health Inequalities Research Group at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, delivers the John R. Evans Lectureship in Global Health. The lecture, co-hosted by IWH, is free and open to the public.

Employers play an important role in both hiring and subsequently providing safe work environments for recent immigrants. Researchers at the Institute for Work & Health want to understand the opportunities and challenges employers experience regarding work integration of newcomers, and their resource needs to help newcomers stay safe at work. We invite you to help by participating in a research study that examines the experiences and expectations of employers in relation to hiring and training recent immigrants and refugees in Ontario.

Learn how to plan, conduct and communicate the results of a systematic review from the best in the field. Registration is now open for the Institute’s yearly systematic review workshop, taking place May 15-17 in Toronto. Taught by experts from IWH and Cochrane Back and Neck, this three-day workshop is intended for clinical trainees, clinicians, decision-makers, academics and researchers (epidemiologists, statisticians) with a general interest in the methodology of systematic reviews and for those planning to conduct a systematic review in the future. Registration closes April 24 or when the workshop is full.

Connect with global leaders on emerging challenges, innovative solutions and best practices in workplace injury and illness prevention. The World Congress on Safety & Health at Work is coming to Toronto on October 4-7, 2020. Registration is now open, and the first program announcement is now available at the World Congress 2020 website. This global forum, designed for OHS leaders, policy-makers, employers and advocates, is organized by the International Labour Organization and the International Social Security Association, in conjunction with the Canadian co-hosts, IWH and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 

Workers are vulnerable to injuries or illnesses when they're exposed to hazards and lacking protective factors such as OHS policies, awareness or empowerment. However, supportive supervisors can help lower the likelihood of injuries even when workers are vulnerable, according to a new study.

February 28 is International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day. To help your workplace raise awareness about safe and healthy workstation practices, the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) brings you eOfficeErgo, an evidence-based and standard-compliant online ergonomics training program designed for people who regularly use computers on the job. In time for RSI Day, this free e-learning program is also now available in French, thanks to the support of l’Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur affaires sociales (ASSTSAS).