1. Research priorities

Organizational context

Organizational contexts—for example, workplace size, sector and jurisdiction—can shape employer responses to occupational health and safety (OHS). They can also affect organizations’ ability to support employees living with disabling health conditions to stay at work or return to work after an absence. Our research seeks to better understand how these contexts may influence the effectiveness of programs and policies to prevent work injuries and improve OHS and return-to-work outcomes, with a special emphasis on the needs of small business.

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 woman takes notes at a desk while attending a videoconference on the computer monitor

Comparing real-time online work-related training with face-to-face formats

Work-related training delivered through synchronous online formats can be just as effective as face-to-face training in building workers’ knowledge or skills. This is based on a relatively sparse body of research looking at training aimed at adult learners at the undergraduate level or higher.
Black silhouettes of two women in dialogue, with colourful speech bubbles above them

Getting the message right: strategies to improve return-to-work communication

Communication is central to disability management—especially in large and complex organizations where multiple parties are involved in the return-to-work process and inconsistent practices can add to communication challenges. What effective RTW strategies do these organizations use?

Featured impact case study

IWH evaluation of the effectiveness of the Ontario working-at-heights training standard

An IWH study on the effectiveness of Ontario's mandatory training was valuable to the labour ministry in several ways—including in reinforcing the value of program evaluations.

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Featured impact case study

Saskatchewan’s construction safety group uses IWH’s safety culture tool to measure OHS among member employers

Needing a tool to measure the OHS performance of its members firms, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association turned to the Institute's easy-to-use, eight-item IWH-OPM.

Construction work on the new Victoria Bridge in downtown Saskatoon

Ongoing projects

Evaluating hazard awareness and mitigation training in Northern Ontario workplaces

This mixed-methods study seeks to evaluate hazard awareness training delivered by Workplace Safety North to up to 10 workplaces. Workplace Safety North is a health and safety association funded by the province of Ontario, with a focus on businesses in Northern Ontario.

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.

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.

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.

Creating safe workplaces for newcomers

An IWH qualitative study is looking at feasible and effective approaches for helping employers create safe workplaces for newcomers.

Programs of early OHS intervention with small businesses

What existing OHS interventions for small businesses can be feasibly implemented in small business start-ups? This project aims to find out.

ECHO PSP: Piloting the use of the ECHO model to promote recovery and return-to-work among public safety personnel in Ontario

This pilot project is evaluating the use of the ECHO model in Ontario to improve return-to-work support for injured firefighters, paramedics, police officers and other public safety personnel.

Implementation of PTSI programs in Alberta first responder organizations

This project examines approaches to implementing post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) programs in Alberta first responder organizations

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.

First Responder Mental Health Treatment Services: Formative evaluation of a pilot program

IWH is collaborating with the Institute for Better Health to evaluate a WSIB pilot program treating first responders with work-related mental health injuries.

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