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

Two ambulance parked at the emergency entrance of a hospital in the night
At Work article

Rates of work injuries have declined in Ontario, except the most severe

From 2004 to 2017, rates of work-related injuries requiring an emergency department visit declined in Ontario. But that overall downward trend was driven by injuries that were mild or moderate in severity. Rates of very severe injuries did not fall among men and even increased among women.
Published: July 12, 2024
A New Zealand construction worker holding papers looking off-camera with a city skyline behind
Impact case study

Construction safety org adapts IWH research messages for tradesworker audience

A key program from Construction Health and Safety New Zealand—developed using IWH research—takes a participatory ergonomics approach to better prevent and manage musculoskeletal injuries among construction workers.
Published: February 28, 2024
A man stands in shadow with head down
At Work article

Therapy can help manage depression, but in Manitoba, access to therapists is a concern

Therapy can help manage depression, according to a new systematic review update. How easy is this recommendation to implement in a province like Manitoba?
Published: August 2017
A woman with disability works in a bakery
Research Highlights

Workers with disabilities report greater OHS vulnerability

Workers with disabilities are more likely to be exposed to hazards at work than other workers, and are more likely to experience vulnerability due to inadequate measures to mitigate those hazards.
Published: July 2017
Daily Commercial News logo
IWH in the media

Construction among highest spending sectors to prevent work-related injuries

The construction sector is in the top five of 17 sectors in terms of spending per worker per year on preventing work-related injury and illness, says the president and senior scientist at the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) who is conducting a pilot study on the matter
Published: Daily Commercial News, May 2017
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Evaluating the impact of mandatory awareness training in Ontario

In this presentation, Dr. Peter Smith shares the results of a study that examined differences in the level of self-reported occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness and empowerment among employed workers in Ontario before and after the introduction of the mandatory OHS training. He also discusses the implications of the results for future province-wide initiatives focusing on the primary prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses.
Published: April 2017
Journal article
Project report
Project report

Managing depression in the workplace: a systematic review contextualized for Manitoba

This report provides a synthesis of the relevant research-based evidence on managing depression for the adult working population of Manitoba. The synthesis is based on an international search of the literature, and the findings were then contexualized for Manitoba based on an approach developed by the Institute for Work & Health and Memorial University's SafetyNet Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research.
Published: March 2017
Banner for evidence contextualization tool
Tools and guides

Evidence in context for occupational health and safety: operational handbook

This handbook, the product of a research collaboration between the Institute for Work & Health and Memorial University’s SafetyNet Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research, can be used by occupational health, safety and disability prevention stakeholders seeking to improve policy and/or practice by contextualizing the results of a research synthesis (e.g. a systematic review) to their particular situation (e.g. particular jurisdiction, sector or workplace).
Published: March 2017
Systematic Review
Systematic Review

Effective workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review update

This report synthesizes the evidence from a systematic review on the effectiveness of workplace-based return-to-work interventions and updates the Institute's 2004 systematic review on the same subject. This update brings in evidence published since 2004, and expands upon the original systematic review by including work absences due not only to musculoskeletal disorders, but also to mental health and pain-related conditions.
Published: February 2017
Project report
Project report

Auditing the internal responsibility system in Ontario's mining industry

IWH, in collaboration with Workplace Safety North, piloted a workplace questionnaire to measure perceptions of practices related to the internal responsibility system in Ontario's mining sector. This February 2017 presentation provides an overview of the development of the instrument, called the Internal Responsibility System Climate Assessment and Audit Tool (IRS CAAT), and the psychometric analysis of that instrument at four mining operations.
Published: February 2017
Hand completing questionnaire
At Work article

OHS vulnerability as defined by IWH tool linked to self-reported injury rates

So you've answered 27 questions on the OHS Vulnerability Measure. What does your score say about your injury risk?
Published: February 2017