Establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders plays an important role in IWH’s knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) strategy. It is one of the four key components of the IWH approach to KTE that is outlined in how we do KTE. Key to establishing and maintaining these relationships is our engagement with stakeholders through formal networks.
IWH’s stakeholder networks represent knowledge users from the wide range of audiences that make up Ontario's occupational health and safety, human resources, wellness and disability management community, including policy-makers, workplace parties, professional practitioners and clinicians.
Networks allow for regular, face-to-face meetings with stakeholder representatives above and beyond stakeholder meetings that occur as part of the research process on specific projects. At these meetings, we review recent or planned research of interest with stakeholders, as well as ask stakeholders about the issues in their work that might benefit from new research.
All networks share a common purpose: to promote evidence-informed policy and practice in the prevention of work injury and disability. Members may also be approached to participate on research project teams or on project advisory committees, and to assist with dissemination of research findings to their own networks, clients or members.
The Institute established its first formal network in 2001 – the Physiotherapy Educationally Influential (EI) Network and over the years continued developing new and diverse networks to reflect our research priorities. Today, IWH hosts two networks. These networks, and the stakeholders they represent, are described below.
IWH Connects
IWH Connects is an Institute network started in 2024. It comprises individuals from a broad range of industries, with a diversity of roles and professions, all with an interest in the health, safety and wellbeing of working people. The purpose of the network is to facilitate knowledge exchange and the use and dissemination of IWH research findings across cross-cutting, high priority issues in work and health.
Members of IWH Connects convene annually to learn about novel research findings and their implications for work, health and wellbeing; influence research messaging and dissemination; provide input on gaps in evidence, new research topics and approaches; learn about emerging practice and policy issues while networking with peers.
Ontario prevention system network
The Prevention Knowledge Exchange Group (PKEG), which is hosted by IWH, brings together representatives of organizations in the Ontario work injury and illness prevention system. The organizations represented, which meet four times a year, include the following:
- Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD)
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
- Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA), serving the construction, utility and transportation sectors
- Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA), serving the health-care, education and municipal sectors
- Workplace Safety North (WSN), serving the mining, pulp & paper and forestry sectors, as well as northern Ontario businesses
- Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), serving the manufacturing, retail and agricultural sectors
- Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)
- Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC)
- Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH)
- Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD)
- Centre of Research Expertise for Occupational Disease (CREOD)
- Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work (EPID@Work) Research Institute
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC)