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
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
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
Systematic Review
Systematic Review
Systematic review of OHS interventions with economic evaluations: appendices
This report includes appendices to the systematic review of OHS interventions with economic evaluations.
Published: July 2007
Systematic Review
Systematic Review
Systematic review of OHS interventions with economic evaluations: full report
Before employers invest in workplace health and safety interventions, they want to know the financial implications of their investment. The goal of this review was to explore whether such interventions are worthwhile from an economic point of view. To find an answer, the Institute for Work & Health conducted a systematic review of studies of workplace-based health and safety interventions that also had an economic analysis. This review, as outlined in this final report, sought to answer the following question: What is the credible evidence that incremental investment in health and safety is worth undertaking?
Published: July 2007
At Work article
At Work article
Ontario’s Patient Lift Initiative: early findings
The Institute for Work & Health was selected to evaluate the impact of the Patient Lift Initiative funded by Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Published: April 2007
At Work article
At Work article
Preventing injury in health-care workers
There are many programs designed to prevent MSDs in health-care workers. But are these programs all effective? And which ones are better? IWH recently completed a systematic review that aimed to answer these questions.
Published: April 2007
At Work article
At Work article
Ontario, BC show different declines in work injury rates
In both Ontario and British Columbia, work injury rates dropped between 1990 and 2001. However, B.C. generally showed less of a decrease. By comparing rates among provinces, we can see who is performing better and start to explore why rates differ.
Published: February 2007
Journal article
Journal article
Non-agricultural work injuries among youth: a systematic review
Published: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, February 2007
Sharing Best Evidence
Is it worthwhile investing in health and safety programs?
Before employers invest in workplace health and safety interventions, they want to know the financial implications of their investment. The goal of this review was to explore whether such interventions are worthwhile from an economic point of view.
Published: January 2007
Sharing Best Evidence
Prevention programs for health-care workers
Health-care workers face a high risk of developing injuries to their muscles, tendons or other soft-tissues, including back pain. These injuries are also known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). IWH conducted a systematic review to summarize the existing scientific literature on the effectiveness of MSD prevention programs for health-care workers.
Published: January 2007
Systematic Review
Systematic Review
Interventions in health-care settings to protect musculoskeletal health: a systematic review
Health-care workers face a high risk of developing injuries to their muscles, tendons or other soft-tissues, including back pain. Many prevention initiatives have been used to try to prevent these musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from occurring in health-care workers. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these programs. This report summarizes a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of MSD prevention programs for health-care workers.
Published: December 2006
At Work article
At Work article
Doctors’ network promotes back pain evidence among peers
A network of 200 Ontario physicians has been learning the most recent evidence on back pain treatment. The question now is whether they effectively influence peers to change their practice – and whether the network can be maintained over time.
Published: November 2006