Dr. Lynda Robson
Dr. Lynda Robson is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, where she has worked since 1997. She is an adjunct professor in the School of Occupational and Public Health at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is also a member of the Canadian Standards Association Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (Z45001) Technical Committee.
Robson obtained her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Toronto, but later changed fields through additional education at the university's former Graduate Department of Community Health.
Robson's research interests include using both quantitative and qualitative methods to study occupational health and safety (OHS) management, organizational change in OHS and the evaluation of prevention programs, especially OHS training programs.
“The lab research in which I was involved, though ultimately intended to benefit people, was in itself lacking in the social/human dimension. Now, I often study people and their organizations, and more often interact with users of the research, and I find that personally rewarding." – Dr. Lynda Robson
Projects
- Understanding how new businesses start managing OHS: laying the groundwork for future interventions . Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Understanding the injury experience of Ontario small businesses through workers’ compensation claims data. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Occupational health and safety performance in Ontario's unionized construction sector. Funded by Ontario Construction Secretariat. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Evaluating the implementation of a participatory organizational change intervention in long-term care. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour, Centre for Research on the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD). Completed.
- Strengthening disability management in Ontario’s municipal sector. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Signature Initiative. Completed.
Publications
- Robson LS, Landsman V, Latour-Villamil D, Lee H, Mustard C. Updating a study on the union effect on safety in the ICI construction sector. Institute for Work & Health; 2021.
- Robson LS, Lee H, Amick B, Landsman V, Smith PM, Mustard C. Preventing fall-from-height injuries in construction: effectiveness of a regulatory training standard. Journal of Safety Research. 2020;74:271-278. doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2020.06.007.
- Yanar B, Robson LS, Tonima S, Amick B. Understanding the organizational performance metric, an occupational health and safety management tool, through workplace case studies. International Journal of Workplace Health Management. 2020;13(2):117-138. doi:10.1108/IJWHM-09-2018-0126.
- Robson LS, Mustard C. Evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the Ontario working-at-heights training standard: final report. Institute for Work & Health; 2019.
- Robson LS, Mustard C. Evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the Ontario working-at-heights training standard: executive summary. Institute for Work & Health; 2019.
Speaker Series presentations
- A model of "breakthrough change" in workplace health and safety performance. IWH Speaker Series. May 13, 2014.
- A systematic review of the effectiveness of training and education for the protection of workers. IWH Speaker Series. March 9, 2010.
Interviews and articles
- What research can do: OHS change model informs WSPS’s approach to small businesses. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 92, Spring 2018.
- Making the business case for safety: Don't sacrifice safety for operations. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). September 17, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/insider-top-stories/making-business-case-safety-dont-sacrifice-safety-operations
- Employers that focus on both operations and safety don’t have to sacrifice either. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 85, Summer 2016.
- OPM follow-up questions now available to help firms act on leading indicator scores. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 84, Spring 2016.
- Managing your OHS program: A case study on breakthrough changes in safety. OHS Insider: Bongarde Media (Penticton, BC). April 20, 2016. Available from: https://ohsinsider.com/insider-top-stories/managing-ohs-program-case-study-breakthrough-changes-safety