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
New Canadian guideline released on opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain
A new evidence-based Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-cancer pain was released in May.
Published:
At Work article
Probing the link between occupation and risk of suicide
Is it an urban myth that workers in certain occupations, such as dentists, are more likely to commit suicide, or not? It turns out that for most occupations, your job does not increase your risk of suicide.
Published:
At Work article
Grant round-up: IWH research gets the green light
Scientists typically need two key components to carry out research: a well-grounded research proposal and strong financial support. Here is a scan of what’s recently been given the green light.
Published:
At Work article
Prevention team develops tool to measure leading indicators
There may be a time in the near future where a simple tool may help predict a firm’s future injury experience – and help to focus health and safety efforts.
Published:
At Work article
Evidence summary shows what works in treating neck pain
Clinicians have tried various approaches to help workers with neck pain – but some have been proven ineffective in research.
Published:
Issue Briefing
Shift work and health
Shift work — employment with anything other than a regular daytime work schedule — makes up a large part of work in the Canadian economy. For at least 50 years, researchers have been exploring the question of whether working shifts poses a health hazard. This briefing summarizes the findings of a selection of this research, including several review articles.
Published:
At Work article
Research noted at Legislative Assembly of Ontario
A study that has been examining potential explanations for the increase in long-duration claims was noted in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Published:
At Work article
Leading work-health researchers to attend Toronto conference
This year’s Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH) conference is gearing up to be an exciting event with an impressive range of speakers from the work and health research arena from across Canada.
Published:
At Work article
Co-workers play an important, but sometimes “invisible” role in RTW
If you’re trying to bring an injured worker back to work, you may want to talk to his or her co-workers. A new study suggests they may have some important insights about how best to help the injured worker get back to, and stay on, the job.
Published:
At Work article
At issue: Comparing the costs of workers’ compensation in California and Canada
A new Issue Briefing examines workers’ compensation costs in Canada and in the state of California. The briefing shows that the administrative costs of the workers' compensation system in California are much higher than in Canada.
Published:
At Work article
Shift work and health: What is the research telling us?
The Institute for Work & Health has scanned the research and called on experts to get the latest word on what we know – and don’t know – about the effects of shift work on employee health. There are certainly areas for concern, so more research on ways to protect shift workers is the logical next step.
Published:
At Work article
Picture this: Using visual symbols to identify MSD hazards
Institute for Work & Health (IWH) researchers are playing a role in developing novel pictograms that convey both musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) hazards and controls.
Published:
Issue Briefing
Workers' compensation in California and Canada
This Issue Briefing provides a case study that compares the costs of the workers’ compensation scheme in the state of California with the cost of provincial workers’ compensation schemes in Canada. In California's system, compensation benefits are mainly provided through private insurers, while in Canada they are provided mostly through a single public agency in each province.
Published:
At Work article
The big picture: Solving the “problem” of OHS in small business
Solutions to the “problem” of health and safety in small business are slow in coming. At the 2009 Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture, Dr. Joan Eakin drew upon her years of research to help explain why.
Published:
At Work article
Easy-to-use tool measures benefits and costs of OHS initiatives
The Institute for Work & Health introduces the Health & Safety Smart Planner – a new, user-friendly tool that is designed to help workplaces understand the full benefits and costs of occupational health and safety programs and interventions.
Published:
At Work article
Exploring complex issues to find return-to-work answers
Recent studies from the Institute for Work & Health highlight potentially important practices for ensuring the successful return to work of injured employees.
Published:
At Work article
OHS education and training promotes positive worker practices
A systematic review from the Institute for Work & Health confirms that education and training lead to safer practices among workers. However, on their own, they might not reduce work-related injuries and illnesses. That makes education and training only one part, albeit an important part, of an effective occupational health and safety program.
Published:
Sharing Best Evidence
Effectiveness of OHS education and training
Occupational health and safety (OHS) training is an important part of managing workplace hazards and risks, but do they result in fewer work-related injuries and illnesses? This systematic review set out to determine whether OHS training and education programs have a beneficial effect for workers and workplaces.
Published:
Research Highlights
Improving health and safety in small businesses
Health and safety interventions in small businesses can improve safety-related attitudes, behaviour and health. Evidence supports two intervention types: a combination of training and safety audits; and a combination of engineering controls, training, safety audits and rewards.
Published:
Research Highlights
What is the association between occupation and suicide risk among working Canadians?
With a few exceptions, the characteristics of specific occupations do not influence the risk for suicide in Canada. For men, nine occupational groups have an elevated risk for suicide; for women, four occupational groups have an elevated risk.
Published: