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
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 surveyed firms across Ontario and British Columbia to find out.
Published: October 8, 2025
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
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Developing a measure of OHS vulnerability
The term "vulnerability" is used increasingly in occupational health and safety (OHS) in Ontario. Although certain groups in the labour market (e.g. younger workers, temporary workers or immigrants) are often labelled as “vulnerable workers,” there is very little discussion about what the broader workplace and occupational factors are that lead to increased risk of injury among these groups, and whether these risk factors are similar across the groups. In this plenary, Dr. Peter Smith, a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, provides an overview of the conceptual framework of OHS vulnerability. He also shares preliminary findings from a survey capturing different dimensions of OHS vulnerability across a sample of workers in Ontario and British Columbia.
Published: January 2015
Project
Project
Evaluating the impact of mandatory awareness training on occupational health and safety vulnerability in Ontario
In 2014, Ontario legislated mandatory health and safety awareness training for all workers and supervisors. How effective was this training in its early days in reducing vulnerability to risk of work injury? IWH researchers answered this question.
Status: Completed 2018
Project
Project
Employer investments in occupational health and safety: establishing benchmarks for Ontario
How much are Ontario employers investing in health and safety in their workplaces. An IWH research team went right to the source, surveying Ontario employers about their firm-level spending on five dimensions of health and safety.
Status: Completed 2017
Impact case study
Leading indicators and benchmarking key to growing success for property management company
Brookfield Johnson Controls turns to the IWH-OPM after deciding to shift focus away from lagging indicators.
Published: December 2014
At Work article
Preventing upper extremity MSDs: What the latest research says
IWH systematic review recommends workplace-based resistance training to help prevent and manage upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders
Published: November 2014
At Work article
Success stories offer new guidance to organizations on path of OHS change
Breakthrough change model finds external influence, new OHS knowledge, health and safety champion among catalysts for sustained change
Published: November 2014
At Work article
IWH eight-item questionnaire may predict future claims rates
The IWH-OPM, developed as part of the Institute’s leading indicators research, found to predict future claims rates in a sample of Ontario firms
Published: August 2014
At Work article
Ontario firm uses OLIP to track health and safety in suppliers
Real estate services company shares story of how it puts leading indicators to use
Published: August 2014
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Preventing musculoskeletal disorders: Findings from a systematic review update
Workers in all industries are vulnerable to painful and potentially disabling injuries and disorders of the neck, shoulders, upper arms, forearms, elbows, wrists and hands—areas known as the upper extremities. The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) has conducted a systematic review on the effectiveness of workplace intervention programs to prevent and manage upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In this plenary, the team shares the updated findings and the key messages from the latest research available.
Published: June 2014
Impact case study
WorkSafeNB adopts IWH’s tool to benchmark health and safety
Institute expertise tapped to evaluate agency's safety perception tool--and to provide a better alternative.
Published: June 2014