Dr. Peter Smith
Dr. Peter Smith is president and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) in Toronto, and a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Prior to moving into the president's role in January 2022, Smith was IWH's scientific co-director.
Smith has a master's in public health from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a PhD from the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. He is a former recipient of a New Investigator Award (2008-2013) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council (2012-2014), and a five-year CIHR Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health (2014-2018).
Smith has extensive experience conducting research related to work injury and its consequences using large population-based surveys and administrative workers' compensation data. His key research interests include: gender and sex differences in the relationship between work and health; labour market inequalities and their health-related outcomes; labour market experiences of newcomers, older workers, younger workers and other vulnerable labour force subgroups; chronic illnesses and work injury; and trends in working conditions over time.
“I don’t understand how people can think about health without thinking about work. Between our early 20s and our 60s – and later for some people – we spend most of our waking hours at work. It makes sense, then, that aspects of work must have an impact on different aspects of our health, both positively and negatively. That drives me to better understand what good work and bad work look like from a health and return-to-work perspective.” – Dr. Peter Smith
Projects
- How RTW differs for workers with psychological injuries, older workers. Funded by Australian Research Council. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Inter-jurisdictional comparison of OHS and workers’ compensation system performance. Funded by Manitoba Workers Compensation Board. Completed.
- Role of employers and settlement agencies in safe employment integration. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Measuring occupational health and safety vulnerability in Alberta . Funded by OHS Futures Alberta. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Understanding the employment needs and experiences of baby boomers with arthritis and diabetes. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Completed.
Publications
- Smith PM, Mustard C. Examining the associations between physical work demands and work injury rates between men and women in Ontario, 1990-2000. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2004;61(9):750-756. doi:10.1136/oem.2003.009860.
- Smith PM, Mustard C, Payne JI. Methods for estimating the labour force insured by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board: 1990-2000. Chronic Diseases in Canada. 2004;25(4):127-137.
- Smith PM, Breslin FC, Beaton DE. Questioning the stability of sense of coherence--the impact of socio-economic status and working conditions in the Canadian population. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2003;38(9):475-484. doi:10.1007/s00127-003-0654-z.
- Breslin FC, Koehoorn M, Smith PM, Manno M. Age related differences in work injuries and permanent impairment: a comparison of workers' compensation claims among adolescents, young adults, and adults. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2003;60(9):E10-. doi:10.1136/oem.60.9.e10.
- Smith PM, Polanyi M. Social norms, social behaviours and health: an empirical examination of a model of social capital. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 2003;27(4):456-463. doi:10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00426.x.
Speaker Series presentations
- Refining estimates of occupational exposures and risk of workplace COVID-19 transmission. IWH Speaker Series. January 16, 2024.
- Building on the past, looking to the future: Presenting the IWH Strategic Plan, 2023-27. IWH Speaker Series. May 23, 2023.
- Workplace COVID-19 protections and transmission: Findings from population-level data in Canada. IWH Speaker Series. October 19, 2021.
- Differences in the return-to-work process for work-related psychological and musculoskeletal conditions: findings from an Australian cohort. IWH Speaker Series. April 6, 2021.
- More than just COVID-19 prevention: Exploring the links between PPE, safe work protocols and workers' mental health. IWH Speaker Series. November 10, 2020.
Interviews and articles
- Injuries at work may increase risk of losing one's job. Reuters Health. February 5, 2016. Available from: http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-workplace-injury-idUKKCN0VE2MW
- Distinct types of OHS vulnerability seen in young, temporary, small business employees. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 82, Fall 2015.
- The vulnerable worker. OOHNA Journal . October 27, 2015. Available from: https://www.iwh.on.ca/sites/iwh/files/oohna_journal_fw_2015_vulnerability.pdf
- Line blurred between lost-time, no lost-time claims: Study. Canadian Occupational Safety: Thomson Reuters Canada (Toronto, ON). September 15, 2015. Available from: http://www.cos-mag.com/safety/safety-stories-exclusive/4664-line-blurred-between-lost-time-no-lost-time-claims-study.html
- Study: Time-loss injuries may depend on work demands, premium rates. Canadian Occupational Health & Safety News: Business Information Group (Toronto, ON). April 24, 2015. Available from: https://www.ohscanada.com/study-time-loss-injuries-may-depend-on-work-demands-premium-rates-2/