1. Research priorities

Longstanding work and health issues

Many longstanding issues related to work injuries and their consequences continue to negatively affect the lives and health of workers. For example, musculoskeletal injuries remain the leading cause of disability and discomfort among Canadian workers. Rates of workers’ compensation claims for traumatic fatalities have remained constant for the past decade. Persons with disabilities continue to be employed at lower rates, or in poorer work conditions, than those who do not live with a disability. Our research aims to provide new knowledge to help regulators and workplaces address persistent occupational health and safety (OHS) risks, workers’ compensation challenges and barriers to labour market inclusion.

Latest findings

A police officer with their back turned faces a group of people walking around.

Police service members face challenges with accommodation, communication and trust when returning to work after an injury

A recent IWH study examined the experiences of sworn and civilian Ontario police service members returning to their jobs after experiencing an injury or illness. It found their RTW challenges revolved around five main themes.
A computer technician who uses a wheelchair works at his station

Canadians with disabilities twice as likely to report low quality employment than those without disabilities

According to a new IWH study that measures employment quality along 16 dimensions, persons with disabilities are almost twice as likely to find themselves in low quality jobs than those without disabilities.
Overhead view of two people in safety helmets walking up the stairs in a plant

IWH tool comes out ahead in Australian study of OHS leading indicator tools

In an Australian study of five health and safety leading indicator tools around the world, a measure developed by IWH has come out ahead for its ability to pick up workers’ risk of reporting a physical injury or a near miss at work.

Featured impact case study

Following reports by IWH and others, B.C. amends the law to strengthen protections against claim suppression

After an IWH study filled a research gap on claim suppression in B.C. and helped make the case for change, the province amended legislation to strengthen protections against the practice.

A worker drives a forklift in a lumber mill

Featured tool

Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT)

A new tool helps workers with episodic health conditions think about—and ask for—the supports they need at work.

close up of person using laptop at home

Ongoing projects

Incentives-based approaches to support stay at work/return to work: an environmental scan

This project will identify and examine the incentives for adults with disabilities that promote staying at or returning to work.

Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): Transition to work and career development

This project will identify and synthesize innovative school-to-work transition programs, practices and interventions for persons with disabilities that emphasize access to high-quality jobs and career success.

Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): Evidence synthesis

As part of the IDEA initiative, IWH is leading an evidence synthesis component to identify needs/challenges, knowledge gaps and existing evidence-informed tools and promising practices related to IDEA's objectives.

Champions as social agents of change: what can we learn from worker well-being initiatives?

This project explores the role of champions in improving worker participation in workplace well-being programs.

Trends in the severity of work-related injury in Ontario

IWH is developing a method to classify the severity of work-related injuries presenting to hospital emergency departments.

Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): A social innovation lab to increase demand-side capacity to employ persons with disabilities in Canada

This large, national project includes many research team members, collaborators and partners—all taking an innovative approach to increasing the sustainable employment of people with disabilities in Canada by building disability confidence and accommodation capacity among employers

Ontario Life After Work Injury Study: Understanding the long-term recovery and labour market outcomes of injured workers in the shadow of COVID-19

Building on IWH's original Ontario Life After Work Injury Study (OLAWIS), IWH is looking in particular at the long-term outcomes of people who were recovering and returning to work during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Occupational injury risks in Ontario

This project will build occupational health and safety data capacity in Ontario that can support and evaluate prevention activities.

Building disability confidence in Canada’s financial sector

An IWH project is bringing together disability-focused organizations to develop a toolkit to build capacity among Canada's financial-sector employers to hire and accommodate persons with disabilities.

Developing a framework for measuring culture change related to accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities

Research shows people with disabilities are often not permitted to, and/or are prevented from, participating in various activities in society, including employment. Culture change is needed to make substantive and sustainable change. This project aims to develop a set of clear and robust measures to track culture change as part of efforts to advance social inclusion and accessibility.

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