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

Impact case study

Saskatchewan’s construction safety group uses IWH tool to improve safety culture

This case study details how the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) members have been analyzing IWH-OPM scores to adjust their safety practices and how SCSA has been using the data to tailor their outreach.

Published: February 10, 2025

Jars of cannabis on a store display, as seen from outside

Issue Briefing

Cannabis use by workers before and after legalization in Canada

Since 2018, when non-medical use of cannabis was legalized in Canada, a pair of Institute for Work & Health (IWH) studies was conducted to explore the implications of this change for workplaces. This briefing sums up their findings.

Published: December 5, 2024

Video

Trouvez les travailleurs à protéger

La vulnérabilité en santé et en sécurité au travail ne dépend pas de qui vous êtes. Elle dépend des fonctions que vous accomplissez. Nos recherches montrent qu’il existe une meilleure façon de repérer les travailleurs vulnérables.

Published: August 2017

IWH in the media

Weed at work

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada came closer to reality on April 13, when the Justin Trudeau government introduced the Cannabis Act, or Bill C-45. While pot users across the country applaud the move, others have raised concerns about the effect that the proposed legislation would have on workplace safety, writes Jeff Cottrill in an article that quotes the Institute for Work & Health's Dr. Andrea Furlan.

Published: OHS Canada, August 2017

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

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

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

The relationship between occupational health and safety vulnerability and workplace injury

Published: Safety Science, April 2017

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

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