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.
Research Highlights
Pain and long-term absences among Canadian nurses with MSIs
Two important factors associated with how long Canadian female nurses stay off of work due to musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are the level of pain and the extent to which pain interferes with job duties.
Published:
Research Highlights
The role of co-workers in return to work
Return-to-work (RTW) models and policies can be improved by taking into account social relations within a work unit, especially the role of co-workers.
Published:
Research Highlights
Development of a brief psychosocial screening instrument for people with low-back pain
The Pain Recovery Inventory of Concerns and Expectations (PRICE), is a psychosocial screening questionnaire for workers with low-back pain that can estimate the overall likelihood of quickly recovering and returning to work within three months after injury.
Published:
Research Highlights
The relationship between age and risk of work injury in B.C.
The relationship between age and injury varies depending on the type of injury. Older workers, for example, are at higher risk of fractures and dislocations.
Published:
At Work article
Work environment may put women at risk of diabetes
Limited discretion and authority to influence how to meet the demands of their job may put women at risk of diabetes, says a new study from the Institute for Work & Health and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
Published:
At Work article
Over-qualified recent immigrant men at increased risk of job injury
Men recently immigrated to Canada who have higher educational qualifications than are required for their current Canadian job have an increased risk of workplace injury, suggests new research that raises key questions about why this is happening and what can be done to address it.
Published:
At Work article
Understanding western Canada's high risk of work injury
What is driving the higher risk of job injury in western Canada? New research from the Institute for Work & Health suggests it goes beyond the type of work found in the west.
Published:
At Work article
Breakthrough change: Finding and describing firms that make large OHS improvements
What changes, why and who’s driving the change in firms that make large improvements in workplace health and safety? Possible answers are coming from the first phase of an ongoing study at the Institute for Work & Health that is exploring the process of “breakthrough change.”
Published:
At Work article
The mouse that roared: Quivering mouse may reduce shoulder pain
A vibrating computer mouse that reminds users to move their hands and rest their arms eases office workers’ shoulder pain, but gets mixed reviews from users in a pilot study conducted by researchers at the Institute for Work & Health.
Published:
At Work article
Fall symposium addresses injury prevention and financial incentives
In today’s competitive global economy, financial incentives are often seen by governments as an effective way to encourage employers to invest in occupational health and safety. But how well do these incentives work?
Published:
At Work article
Nachemson lecture: Keeping pace with the changing world of work
The Institute for Work & Health is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Silverstein, a professor in the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and former assistant director of Industrial Safety and Health with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, will deliver this year’s Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture.
Published:
Issue Briefing
Effectiveness of targeted OHS labour inspections
This Issue Briefing takes a close look at the design and outcomes of three North American studies and how they inform our understanding of the effectiveness of targeted labour inspections on occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes.
Published:
At Work article
Temp agency workers falling through cracks in OHS system
The complex employment relationship between temporary agency workers, temp agencies and client employers creates loopholes and incentives that may leave low-wage temp agency workers more vulnerable to workplace injuries, says new research from the Institute for Work & Health.
Published:
At Work article
Training promotes safer practices
A systematic review led by the Institute for Work & Health shows that training positively influences worker practices, making it an important part of multi-component health and safety programs.
Published:
At Work article
Study finds persistence of higher injury risk for new workers
We know that newly hired workers face a higher injury rate. Recent research from the Institute for Work & Health finds that the higher risk of work injury among new workers has persisted over the past ten years. This suggests workplaces need to do more to ensure new workers get the training and supervision they need to stay safe on the job.
Published:
At Work article
New IWH senior scientist highlights chronic disease
The health of older workers is a focus of research for the Institute for Work & Health and its newest senior recruit.
Published:
At Work article
Show and tell: Visual symbols inform vulnerable workers about MSDs
Visual symbols or pictograms, along with training, are a promising approach to protect vulnerable workers from musculoskeletal disorders, according to a collaborative evaluation involving the Institute for Work & Health.
Published:
Sharing Best Evidence
Factors affecting RTW following acute low-back pain
This systematic review set out to find what factors affect the length of time it takes before returning to work. The aim was to identify which workers with acute low-back pain are at high risk of long-term absences and, therefore, in need of extra attention to help them recover and return to work more quickly.
Published:
At Work article
Case management potential area for return-to-work improvement
A survey of employees and supervisors about their company’s return-to-work process points to case management as both a lynchpin of the process and a potential area for improvement—a finding that may resonate beyond this one workplace.
Published:
At Work article
Grant round-up: IWH research aims for practical results
Here’s a quick preview of five research projects at the Institute for Work & Health that recently got the ‘green light.’ They promise to bring results that can help prevent workplace injury and disability.
Published: