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
- IWH Organizational Performance Metric: Developing and evaluating a simple workplace OHS tool. Funded by Workplace Safety & Insurance Board, Ontario Ministry of Labour. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Evaluating an internal responsibility system audit tool for Ontario’s mining sector. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour. Completed.
- Implementation of workplace violence legislation in Ontario hospitals. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour. Completed.
- Breakthrough change: understanding why and how workplaces make large improvements in OHS performance. Funded by Workplace Safety & Insurance Board of Ontario's Research Advisory Committee, Ontario Ministry of Labour. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Ontario Leading Indicators Project. Completed.
Publications
- Nichol K, Kudla I, Robson LS, Hon CY, Eriksson J, Holness DL. The development and testing of a tool to assess joint health and safety committee functioning and effectiveness. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2017;60(4):368. doi:10.1002/ajim.22703.
- Robson LS, Amick B, Moser C, Pagell M, Mansfield E, Shannon HS, Swift M, Hogg-Johnson S, Cardoso S, South H. Important factors in common among organizations making large improvement in OHS performance: results of an exploratory multiple case study. Safety Science. 2016;86:211-227. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2016.02.023.
- Tompa E, Robson LS, Sarnocinska-Hart A, Klassen R, Shevchenko A, Sharma S, Hogg-Johnson S, Amick B, Johnston D, Veltri A, Pagell M. Managing safety and operations: the effect of joint management system practices on safety and operational outcomes. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2016;58(3):e80-e89. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000616.
- Yazdani A, Bigelow P, Carlan N, Naqvi S, Robson LS, Steenstra I, McMillan K, Wells R. Development and evaluation of a questionnaire to document worker exposures to mechanical loading at a workplace level. IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. 2016;4(1):38-53. doi:10.1080/21577323.2016.1179701.
- Tompa E, Hogg-Johnson S, Amick B, Wang Y, Shen E, Mustard C, Robson LS, Saunders R. Financial incentives of experience rating in workers' compensation: new evidence from a program change in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2013;55(3):292-304. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e31827827fa.
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
- Union firms have lower lost-time claim rates, study in ICI construction confirms. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 103, Winter 2021.
- Can an eight-item questionnaire pick up on real-world differences in OHS practice?. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 99, Winter 2020.
- Ontario’s working-at-heights training led to safer practices, reduced injury claims rates. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 96, Spring 2019.
- Regulated working at heights training works and needed: studies. Workers Health & Safety Centre. April 9, 2019. Available from: https://www.whsc.on.ca/What-s-new/News-Archive/Regulated-working-at-heights-training-works-i-and-i-needed-studies
- WAH training standards show 'significant' results: IWH. Daily Commercial News: ConstructConnect (Markham, ON). March 12, 2019. Available from: https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/labour/2019/03/wah-training-standards-show-significant-results-iwh