OHS enforcement and regulation
The regulator’s role in setting and enforcing the adoption of basic standards is fundamentally important to ensuring the health, safety and fair treatment of workers and the productivity of workplaces. The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) conducts a wide range of research to help labour ministries, workers' compensation boards and other regulatory bodies (and those affected by them) understand where their limited time and money will be most effectively allocated to achieve fewer work-related injuries and illnesses.
Featured
IWH Speaker Series
Estimating the economic burden of work injuries and illnesses in the European Union
Published: November 12, 2019
At Work article
What research can do: Scanning how OHS authorities responded to the pandemic
A new Issue Briefing looks at common challenges in the way labour inspection authorities in developed countries around the world have responded to the pandemic
Published: December 2021
At Work article
In most sectors, workplaces saw lower COVID transmission rates than in the community
What was the role of workplaces in contributing to COVID-19 case counts in Ontario? And what measures did workplaces across Canada put in place to reduce or prevent COVID spread? A team at IWH and Public Health Ontario draw on population-level data to find out.
Published: November 2021
Issue Briefing
Response to COVID-19: Gathering experiences of OHS authorities in developed countries
In early 2021, a group of researchers led by IWH President Dr. Cameron Mustard asked authorities responsible for occupational health and safety (OHS) in developed countries how they had, to date, addressed the COVID-19 challenge. This Issue Briefing shares what the researchers learned.
Published: August 2021
At Work article
What research can do: Workplace COVID outbreaks reported by Ontario public health account for one in 20 cases in working-age adults
In the second wave of the pandemic so far, outbreaks in essential service workplaces (excluding health-care, congregate living and educational settings) have contributed just over five per cent of all cases among working-age adults in Ontario.
Published: March 2021
At Work article
COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities in OHS and social security highlighted at global session
In early October, the global community of OHS and social security policy-makers gathered virtually to discuss challenges and lessons learned as countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Despite the diversity of their experiences, many common themes emerged.
Published: November 2020
At Work article
Adequacy of COVID infection control and PPE linked to workers’ mental health: study
Workers who felt safe at their physical work sites had better mental health than workers who felt workplace COVID-19 safety practices were inadequate, according to a study conducted by IWH and OHCOW at the start of the COVID-19 emergency.
Published: November 2020
At Work article
Anxiety levels among health-care workers during COVID-19 linked to inadequate PPE
Nearly six in 10 surveyed health-care workers in Canada reported anxiety levels surpassing an accepted threshold for clinical screening for the condition. Workers who reported more unmet PPE needs also reported higher levels of anxiety, according to a study by OHCOW.
Published: May 2020
At Work article
Estimating the societal costs of work injuries and illnesses in five EU countries
To help European Union countries set priorities and analyze potential benefits of tackling work-related hazards, an IWH team developed and implemented a new method for estimating the societal costs of work injuries and illnesses.
Published: January 2020
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Estimating the economic burden of work injuries and illnesses in the European Union
Knowing the economic burden of work-related illnesses and injuries in a country can help policy-makers set priorities. In a recent project involving five European Union countries, Institute for Work & Health Senior Scientist and labour economist Dr. Emile Tompa, along with post-doctoral fellow Amir Mofidi, developed and executed a new framework for such an estimate. In this presentation, Tompa discusses the approach, its potential, as well as results of the five-country study.
Published: November 2019
At Work article
Program raised workplace mental health awareness, but not likelihood of policy
In Thunder Bay and surrounding area, public health officials began hearing that employers needed more resources on managing mental health. They responded with a community awareness program. According to a study, the program raised knowledge about the issue—and not just among those that took part.
Published: October 2019