Economic evaluations

Economic evaluations in health and safety calculate the costs and benefits of injury, illness and disability prevention programs, both workplace-based and at the systems level. IWH researchers not only answer questions about how and what to measure in an economic evaluation, but also conduct economic evaluations themselves as part of larger studies determining the effectiveness (in terms of both costs and other benefits) of occupational health and safety, return-to-work and other work-related programs that affect health.

Featured

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At Work article

IWH estimates point to positive return on OHS investment in three Ontario sectors

An estimate of the return-on-investment in occupational health and safety is not a figure that many individual employers can easily come up with on their own. A team at IWH has come up with an estimate for three Ontario sectors, based on previous research and WSIB data.
Published: July 29, 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Estimating the financial benefits of OHS spending: a study of Ontario employers

In high-income countries, employer spending on occupational health and safety (OHS) can be substantial. But what are the financial benefits of these expenditures? An Institute for Work & Health (IWH) team recently developed and applied a transparent methodology to estimate the return on investment (ROI) of OHS spending for Ontario employers. In this presentation, IWH Associate Scientist Dr. Basak Yanar and IWH Adjunct Scientist Dr. Cameron Mustard, also former IWH president and senior scientist, share the methodology they used to arrive at the ROI estimates in three important economic sectors: construction, transportation and manufacturing.
Published: February 2023
Journal article
Wooden block letters spelling out R O I, with colourful arrows pointing to them
At Work article

IWH estimates point to positive return on OHS investment in three Ontario sectors

An estimate of the return-on-investment in occupational health and safety is not a figure that many individual employers can easily come up with on their own. A team at IWH has come up with an estimate for three Ontario sectors, based on previous research and WSIB data.
Published: July 2022
NSC Safety + Health
IWH in the media

Study finds positive ROI in workplace safety and health in three key sectors

A study of large employers in the manufacturing, construction and transportation sectors in Ontario found average returns on investment in workplace safety and health ranging from 24% to 114%, according to research by the Institute for Work & Health.
Published: Safety+Health, June 2022
Wooden block letters spelling out R O I, with colourful arrows pointing to them
Issue Briefing

Estimating the financial return on employers’ investments in the prevention of work injuries in Ontario

Following a 2017 study to estimate occupational health and safety (OHS) expenditures by employers with 20 or more employees in Ontario, Canada, an Institute for Work & Health (IWH) team has set out to estimate the financial return on those OHS expenditures. This Issue Briefing shares findings from that follow-up study.
Published: May 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society

Despite progress to date, persons with disabilities still face discrimination and other barriers to full participation in society. What would be the economic benefits if these barriers are removed? Understanding the magnitude of the benefits can provide invaluable information to policy-makers, disability advocates and industry leaders as they consider the rewards of efforts to improve accessibility. In this presentation, IWH Senior Scientist Dr. Emile Tompa shares a framework his research team developed for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society. He also shares the results of the framework when implemented for the Canadian context. 
Published: February 2022
Journal article
Journal article

Describing economic benefits and costs of nonstandard work hours: a scoping review

Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, January 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Journal article

Break-even analysis of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) exposure interventions in the construction sector

Published: Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, November 2021
People with various disabilities at the office
Research Highlights

The economic benefits of a fully accessible and inclusive Canada

If Canada were a fully accessible and inclusive society, the economic benefits would amount to about $337.7 billion in calendar year 2017. This amount is equal to about 17.6 per cent of the gross domestic product in that year.
Published: November 2021