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

Long shadows cast by a row of workers

Study probes factors behind poorer health, lower employment in injured workers’ post-claim experience

What are the work and health outcomes of injured workers after they no longer receive workers' compensation benefits or services? A study at IWH sets out to explore this little understood aspect of the post-injury experience.
People with various disabilities at the office

The economic benefits of a fully accessible and inclusive Canada

Despite progress to date, persons with disabilities still face discrimination and other barriers to full participation in society. What would be the economic benefits ifWhat would be the economic benefits if these barriers were removed?
A worker bends over, cutting paving stones in a landscaping job

Inadequate employment standards, OHS vulnerability add to higher injury risks

IWH researchers found workers whose jobs fail to offer minimum employment standards are at an increased risk of work injury. When these workers also face health and safety vulnerability on the job, their risk of injury is even higher than the combined risk.

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

Implementation of a comprehensive accommodation and reintegration program in a police service

This study sets out to evaluate the implementation of an accommodation and reintegration program at a major urban police service. The goal is to improve program access and participation and, ultimately, the well-being of police officers.

Understanding how new businesses start managing OHS: laying the groundwork for future interventions

About 100,000 new businesses with one or more employees are created each year in Canada. Almost all start out as small businesses, which have been shown to carry high risks of injuries and fatalities. This study sets out to understand how occupational health and safety management is initiated by new businesses. Its aim is to fill in a research gap and help the prevention system in Ontario reach and support new businesses early in their lifecycle.

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.

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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