Illness/injury prevention
IWH has a long history of conducting research to provide practical guidance to employers, workers, OHS professionals and regulators about what works and what doesn’t in injury or illness prevention. This research targets the injury and illness prevention practices of workplaces, as well as the programs developed by governments, health and safety associations and others to support and motivate workplaces to adopt effective practices.
Featured
Research Highlights
Workers with COVID-19 had better return-to-work rates than others during the pandemic
During the pandemic, workers who contracted COVID-19 from work had better return-to-work rates 18 months later than those with other conditions. Most traditional return-to-work factors, however, did not explain the difference in rates.
Published: July 14, 2026

IWH Speaker Series
How new businesses get their start in workplace health and safety: implications for research and policy
Published: April 21, 2026
IWH in the media
Leading through language barriers for a safe workplace
The Institute for Work and Health (IWH) conducted a study to assess how immigrant workers are being supported and protected in the workplace. The study informed the development of Immigrant Workers and Language Diversity at Work: What Employers Can Do to Keep Workers Safe—a resource that provides practical guidance for addressing language barriers.
Published: The Trusted Leader Blog, March 2026
Journal article
Journal article
Self-reported cannabis use and intoxication at work: prevalence across industries and occupations and association with workplace injuries in the United States (US)
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, March 2026
Journal article
Journal article
Heat exposure and health outcomes in construction workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Published: Environmental Health Insights, March 2026
Journal article
Journal article
Comparing profiles of mental illness and positive mental health between injured workers and the general working population in Ontario
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, February 2026
Journal article
Journal article
Early occupational health and safety interventions for small businesses: an environmental scan
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, January 2026
Journal article
Journal article
The combined effect of psychosocial safety climate and OHS vulnerabilities on workplace injury risks
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine , January 2026
Project
Project
Construction union effect
Two studies have previously examined the union effect on workplace injuries in the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector of construction, using only data from Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). This study both repeats and extends these studies earlier methods, by using additional sources of data.
Status: Ongoing
At Work article
Differences in firm-level AI use for health and safety
To what extent are Canadian workplaces using artificial intelligence (AI) to help support workers’ health and safety? And what do these workplaces have in common? An IWH study found that about a quarter of firms surveyed across Ontario and British Columbia were using AI for occupational health and safety (OHS). Those that were more likely to use the technology for OHS were larger organizations and those where workers were more frequently exposed to hazards.
Published: October 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Landscape of artificial intelligence use for occupational health and safety practice in two Canadian provinces
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, September 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Do occupational health and safety tools that utilize artificial intelligence have a measurable impact on worker injury or illness? Findings from a systematic review
Published: Systematic Reviews, July 2025