Videos & presentations

Participatory approach to health and safety in long-term care

Long-term care homes are high-risk environments, and strategies to reduce workplace injuries are essential to protecting long-term care workers and the quality of care provided to residents. This video whiteboard explains why and how a participatory approach to injury prevention can help prevent injuries by involving front-line staff in the identification and control of workplace hazards.

Posted October 2019

Supervisor's response to work injury matters

Supervisors are busy. They’re always juggling multiple demands for their time and attention. But that moment when they learn a worker is injured, do they react with concern and empathy or blame and skepticism? As this research-based video from Institute for Work & Health (IWH) sums up, a supervisor’s response can make a difference to whether an injured worker returns to work successfully within a few months. It’s one of the ways supervisors matter.

Posted September 2019

Sitting or standing? Which is best?

If you’re confused by seemingly duelling headlines about the negative health effects of prolonged sitting and prolonged standing, this video may help clear things up. Two of the scientists behind these headlines work at the Institute for Work & Health, so we put them before the camera, side by side, to sort out the take-away message.

Posted November 2018

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.

Posted August 2017

Find the workers you need to protect

How do you tell which workers are vulnerable to injury? Occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability is not about who people are. It's about the work they do. Use the OHS Vulnerability Measure to identify workers you need to protect.

Posted August 2017

Creating effective return-to-work programs for workers with MSDs

What workplace-based interventions are effective in helping workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) recover and return to work after a period of work absence? This is the question that a team of researchers from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) in Toronto, Canada, and the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) in Melbourne, Australia, set out to answer through a systematic review of high quality research on the topic.

Posted May 2017

Celebrating 20 years of the DASH Outcome Measure

In 1996, when the DASH was developed by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, no measure had previously existed to assess the disability and function of the arm, shoulder and hand as a whole. Today, this outcome measure is used across the world, and is available in 55 languages and dialects. Developers of the DASH talk about why they think the tool has stood the test of time.

Posted January 2017

Preventing upper extremity injuries at work

Strong evidence suggests that workplace-based resistance training can help prevent and manage musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremity, which includes the neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and hand. That’s one of the key findings coming out of a systematic review conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH).

Posted October 2016

The effect of COR certification on injury rates

We looked at the injury rates of firms that received COR Certification for occupational health and safety.

Posted June 2016

Understanding injury risk and recovery among shift workers

Research evidence has been accumulating on the adverse health consequences of night, evening and rotating shift work. New research is now suggesting that, not only are shift workers at greater risk of work injury, they are more likely to have a harder time recovering should an injury occur. What's more, injury rates don't improve when shift workers switch into regular 9-to-5 work schedules, as Mustard Post-doctoral fellow Dr. Imelda Wong explains.

Posted November 2015

Supporting workers with arthritis through job accommodations

A study about workplace supports for people with arthritis suggests that many affected workers don’t feel they need frequent help. The study, conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), also finds that people who can access the workplace supports often report better outcomes at work. That can mean less job disruption, greater ability to concentrate on tasks and fewer changes to work hours.

Posted September 2015

Divergent trends in work-related and non-work-related injury rates in Ontario

Work-related injury rates in Ontario fell by 30 per cent from 2004 to 2011. In contrast, rates of injuries outside of work did not change. According to a study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), if injuries due to leisure, recreation or other non-work activities had fallen at the same rate as work-related injuries, the province would have seen 200,000 fewer injuries in 2011.

Posted February 2015

Exploring the role of gender in work-related injury, chronic illness and recovery

Institute Scientist Dr. Peter Smith talks about his five-year research program into how sex and gender shape risk of work injury, time off work after a work injury, and the relationship between the work environment and chronic illnesses.

Posted September 2014

Health and safety issues for low-wage temp agency workers

The complex employment relationship between temporary agency workers, temp agencies and client employers creates loopholes and incentives that may leave low-wage temp agency workers more vulnerable to workplace injuries, says research from the Institute for Work & Health.

Posted July 2014

Nachemson 2013: Unique research-policy partnership

Dr. Mieke Koehoorn, co-lead of the Partnership for Work, Health & Safety at the University of British Columbia and recipient of the 2013 Alf Nachemson Memorial Lectureship, talks about the unique research-policy partnership between the University of British Columbia and WorkSafeBC.

Posted November 2013

Nachemson 2013: Impact of research on policy

Dr. Mieke Koehoorn, co-lead of the Partnership for Work, Health & Safety at the University of British Columbia and recipient of the 2013 Alf Nachemson Memorial Lectureship, gives examples of the way in which research has had an impact on policy in British Columbia.

Posted November 2013

Nachemson 2013: Challenges in the research-policy relationship

Dr. Mieke Koehoorn, co-lead of the Partnership for Work, Health & Safety at the University of British Columbia and recipient of the 2013 Alf Nachemson Memorial Lectureship, talks about the challenges facing researchers in developing strong working relationships with policy-makers.

Posted November 2013

An occupational hazard exposure index for economic sectors in Ontario

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Cameron Mustard, Institute for Work & Health

Assessing the validity of the IWH Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM): Workplace case studies

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Basak Yanar, Odette School of Business, University of Windsor

A toolkit approach to managing the risks of musculoskeletal disorders

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Jodi Oakman, Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University, Australia

Organizing for safety and reliability

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Marlys Christianson, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Perspectives on using occupational health and safety research

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Dwayne Van Eerd, Institute for Work & Health

Health impact of commuting among new immigrants in precarious jobs

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Stephanie Premji, McMaster University

Pain and prejudice: What science can learn about work from the people who do it

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Karen Messing, Université du Québec à Montréal

Developing a measure of OHS vulnerability

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Peter Smith, Institute for Work & Health

Understanding independent medical assessments (IMA) in workers' compensation systems

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Agnieszka Kosny, Institute for Work & Health

Assessing the impact of NIOSH research on worker health protection

Presented on at Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture presentation.

Presenters: Paul Schulte, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Returning to work following low-back pain: Do prognostic factors differ for acute, subacute and chronic pain?

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Ivan Steenstra, Institute for Work & Health

Exploring OHS issues among people who do long commutes or leave home for extended periods for work

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Barbara Neis, Memorial University

Examining gender/sex differences in work injury risk, consequences of work injury and the relationship between work stress and chronic disease

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Peter Smith, Institute for Work & Health

Exploring a new model for occupational cancer surveillance

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Paul Demers, Occupational Cancer Research Centre

Intervention research in work and mental health: What works and what doesn't

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Karen Nieuwenhuijsen, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health

Examining supervisors' support for work accommodation

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Vicki Kristman, Institute for Work & Health

A model of "breakthrough change" in workplace health and safety performance

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Lynda Robson, Institute for Work & Health

Different but equal: Workforce participation of people with episodic disabilities

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Tammy C. Yates, Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR)

Movement analysis of firefighters using gaming and simulation technology

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Tara Kajaks, McMaster University

Building front-line capacity to prevent occupational disease in Ontario

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Linn Holness, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease

Non-randomized studies in Cochrane reviews of intervention studies: A content analysis

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Jani Ruotsalainen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland

Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study: Recruitment and participant characteristics

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Sarah Derrett, University of Otago, New Zealand

A multi-centre research initiative focusing on successful integration of youth into education and employment

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Thomas Lund, Regional Hospital Herning, Denmark

A classification of components of workplace disability management programs: Results from a systematic review

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Merete Labriola, University of Aarhus, Denmark

Monitoring health inequities by socio-economic status: Lessons from Scotland

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: John Frank, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, University of Edinburgh

Fairness in accommodating work injury and disability: What is perceived as fair and why do these perceptions matter?

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Gail Hepburn, University of Lethbridge

Work disability trajectories under three workers' compensation programs

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Emile Tompa, Institute for Work & Health

Near-miss reporting…on the road to prevention

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Ester Digiovanni, Atotech Canada Ltd.

Serving the food nation: Assessing body mass index and self-perceived weight in the food service worker population

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Julia Woodhall , University of Waterloo

Certifications and awards for occupational health and safety, wellness, quality and excellence

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: John Speers, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

Regional trends in work-related injury and illness, Ontario 2004-2008

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Andrea Chambers, Institute for Work & Health; Cameron Mustard, Institute for Work & Health

Development of a prediction rule to determine time away from work

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Ivan Steenstra, Institute for Work & Health

Bearing the brunt: Co-workers’ experiences of work reintegration processes

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Debra Dunstan, University of New England, Australia

Thirty years after OHSA: Keeping pace with the changing world of work

Presented on at Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture presentation.

Presenters: Michael Silverstein, University of Washington

Understanding “under-reporting” in occupational health and safety

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Joan Eakin, University of Toronto; Dana Howse, University of Toronto; Linn Holness, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease

Supervisors’ perspectives on work accommodation: The case of cancer

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Ziv Amir, University of Salford, UK

Occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation: Current knowledge and future challenges

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Thomas Tenkate, Ryerson University

Implementing a global ergonomics program and metric system at Magna International Inc.

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Gary Au, Magna International

Measuring workplace psychological health and safety

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: John Oudyk, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc.

Developing a consensus statement on the use of research evidence in injury compensation systems

Presented on at IWH Speaker Series presentation.

Presenters: Alex Collie, Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research