Plain-language summaries

Institute for Work & Health (IWH) plain-language summaries condense research findings in various formats. At Work articles explain study results with comments from the study leads. Research Highlights summarize journal articles in easy-to-read, digest formats. Sharing Best Evidence summaries highlight findings from systematic reviews and other types of reviews conducted or led by IWH researchers. Issue Briefings discuss key research findings from IWH or elsewhere on topics that are of particular interest to policy-makers.

At Work article

Leading indicators project tests five tools for ability to predict injury claims

With help from 1,800 Ontario employers, IWH team probes workplace factors for link to future claims
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A helmeted worker sits on bench with laptop
Issue Briefing

Developing leading indicators of work injury and illness

Leading indicators have the potential to help identify factors affecting the risk of injury, allowing workplaces to address these factors before injuries occur. This Issue Briefing looks at efforts to date to identify OHS leading indicators and the challenges involved.
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At Work article

Night and evening shifts linked to higher risk of injuries: study

Higher injury rates found across age, sex and job type in rare study looking at risk levels by time of day
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At Work article

Risk of repetitive strain injury different across gender in some fields: study

Stark differences in RSI risk for men and women in sectors including construction, agriculture
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At Work article

New Brunswick’s WorkSafeNB adopts IWH’s safety culture yardstick

Institute of Work & Health’s Organizational Performance Metric chosen after study shows firms’ scores on eight-item questionnaire correlate with claims rates
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At Work article

IWH research now has two new “applications”

Mobile app versions of two IWH clinical tools now released
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At Work article

The young and new on job most affected by heat stress: study

Study of work-related heat stress finds heat strokes, sun strokes and other heat illnesses spike over groups of days and disproportionately affect those on the job less than two months
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At Work article

HR researcher and consultant Graham Lowe saw IWH grow over 10 years as scientific advisor

Over 10 years as member of the IWH Scientific Advisory Committee, Graham Lowe has seen the Institute evolve
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At Work article

Change with the times: Chronic conditions hint at the need for tailored injury prevention efforts

Workplaces may need to tailor their injury prevention efforts to address the rising prevalence of chronic conditions, says new research from the Institute for Work & Health.
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At Work article

Mental health suffers among workers permanently impaired by job injury

Depression and related symptoms are more common among workers with permanent impairments following a work-related injury than in the general population, according to a new study from Trent University and the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury.
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At Work article

Female nurses working nights weigh [slightly] more than those working days

Body mass index scores are slightly higher among female nurses working night shifts (or a mix of day, evening and night shifts) than among those working regular day shifts, according to a recent study from the Institute for Work & Health. But we don’t yet know if this difference is important.
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At Work article

Do workplace disability management programs promote return to work?

The effectiveness of workplace-based disability management programs in promoting return to work is unclear, according to a review by the Campbell Collaboration that nevertheless provides important insights into the components of these programs.
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At Work article

Work environment may up risk of hypertension in men

Low job control is associated with an increased risk of hypertension among men, says a study from the Institute for Work & Health and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
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At Work article

Manufacturer learns participatory ergonomics worth the investment

An Ontario textile plant saved over a quarter-of-a-million dollars as a result of implementing a participatory ergonomics program, according to an economic evaluation performed by the Institute for Work & Health.
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At Work article

The making of an “influential knowledge user”: How Judy Geary used research to improve outcomes at WSIB

After more than three decades in various leadership roles at the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Judy Geary, recently retired, shares how she came to value the contribution of research to policy and program development.
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At Work article

The undeclared stakeholders: Recognizing the role of co-workers in return to work

The role of co-workers is crucial in the return-to-work process, and it’s a role that’s not without challenges. This is according to two new studies that hint at ways of making return to work more of a seamless path.
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At Work article

Symposium considers implications of financial incentives

Last November’s first-of-its-kind international symposium brought together policy-makers, workers’ representatives, employers and researchers to discuss the merits and shortcomings of financial incentives for preventing work injury.
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At Work article

Research finds safety and operations can enhance each other

Safety and operations can be mutually beneficial, suggests a joint study led by scientists from the Institute for Work & Health and York University.
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At Work article

Role conflict, strain and overload among challenges facing workers with arthritis

The impact of arthritis on the working and personal lives of those with the chronic illness is more profound than one may presume, says new research that examines the intersecting roles of those with the disease and suggests ways to identify those at risk of negative workplace outcomes.
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At Work article

Alternative paradigm proposed for health and safety system

As the health and safety system strives to keep up with today’s working world, the University of Washington’s Dr. Michael Silverstein has proposed a  novel solution involving private workplace inspectors. He presented this idea at the Institute for Work & Health’s annual Nachemson lecture.
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