Severe pain after a work injury linked to higher rates of opioid use
An Institute for Work and Health (IWH) study found that among a group of injured workers in Ontario, those who experienced severe pain were more likely to use opioids than those who had no or only mild pain. This pattern persisted regardless of whether workers felt they returned to work too soon after their injury, or whether they were offered work accommodations upon their return.
How Saskatchewan’s construction sector uses IWH tool to improve safety practices
Since 2021, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) has been surveying its members twice a year using IWH’s Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM). A new case study details how SCSA members have analyzed IWH-OPM safety culture scores to adjust their safety practices and how SCSA has used the data to tailor their outreach.
IWH Speaker Series: Public safety employers’ perspectives on supporting return to work after PTSI
Workers in public safety jobs, like those in police, fire, paramedic or corrections services, have high rates of post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI). On February 25, Drs. Basak Yanar and Cameron Mustard will present findings from a study about employers’ perspectives on the challenges of supporting the return to work (RTW) of employees with PTSI. They highlight the practices that employers have used to lessen the challenges and improve RTW outcomes.
Participate in a study about sharing your health and work challenges with colleagues
Do you have a co-worker with a chronic condition, and who has shared some of their health and work challenges with you? Or are you living with a chronic physical or mental health condition that sometimes affects your job, and have shared your challenges with a co-worker? The ACED research team at IWH is conducting a study to learn about what happens when people share this type of information with their colleagues. If you would like to participate in an interview, follow the link below
New OCRC infographic: Carpal tunnel syndrome risk among Ontario workers
A recent study from the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) found that the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome among Ontario workers differs by occupation and sex. Occupations with higher risk of carpal tunnel syndrome often involve highly repetitive and forceful hand movements in awkward wrist positions. As Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day approaches, learn more about which occupational groups are at increased risk in a new infographic, available on the OCRC website.
See the infographic and publication
CRE-MSD webinar: Improving management of physical and psychosocial hazards
Worker participation in the identification of hazards at work is critical to preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). On February 19, this webinar will introduce an evidence-based toolkit aimed at identifying both physical and psychosocial hazards to manage MSD risks with the help of workers’ input. Attendees will also get the opportunity to engage with the toolkit’s survey feature as part of this Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) webinar.
Register now