Cascadia Symposium on Environmental, Occupational, and Population Health
October 2024: The Annual Cascadia Symposium on Environmental, Occupational, and Population Health will be held January 9-10, 2025 at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA. Registration and the call for abstracts are open.
New paper: Heat-related illness among workers in BC
August 2024: BC experienced an unprecedented summer with record-breaking high temperatures in 2021. This study characterized occupational heat-related illness (HRI) among BC workers by estimating by incidence rates and associations between heatwaves and HRI, with a focus on comparing risks during the 2021 summer and prior summers from 2001-2020. Read more in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health.
New paper: The impact of regulatory workplace safety inspections on workers’ compensation claim rates
July 2024: This study examined whether regulatory workplace safety inspections in Alberta resulted in reductions in workers’ compensation claims rates for inspected firms relative to comparable non-inspected firms. Findings indicate that inspections generally do not result in greater reductions in firm-level claim rates in the construction, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Read more in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
We are hiring! Seeking a Research Associate
July 2024: PWHS is seeking a Research Associate to lead a program of research on the evaluation of policies and programs designed to prevent work-related injury and illness and improve related disability and return-to-work outcomes. The Research Associate will have a sound understanding of the linkages between public policy and work-related health and safety outcomes, and will use observational research study designs to evaluate policies and programs; conduct statistical analyses; author manuscripts, reports and briefs; present findings; and engage with decision-makers. Apply by August 9!
Are you a young construction worker?
May 2024: The Young Construction Workers Study is looking for young workers in the British Columbia (BC) construction industry to complete a confidential online survey about their current job or trade, working conditions that could contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms, and how these affect their well-being. Chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card as a thank you!
Are you a restaurant, cafe, or bar worker?
May 2024: The FABS study is looking for food and beverage sector workers who have experienced bullying, harassment, and/or violence at work in British Columbia (BC) to complete a confidential survey about these experiences. Share your story! We offer $25 for participation.
Presentations at the 34th International Congress on Occupational Health (ICOH)
April 2024: PWHS Director Chris McLeod is presenting on bullying and harassment among restaurant workers and telework and mental health during the covid pandemic in Marrakesh, Morocco, at the 34th International Congress on Occupational Health (ICOH).
Day of Mourning
April 2024: On April 28, 2024, workers, families, and employers will gather at commemorative ceremonies to honour the 175 BC workers who lost their lives last year due to workplace injury and disease. Join us as we reflect on those we’ve lost, and renew our commitment to creating healthy and safe workplaces for everyone. Whether you’re an employer, supervisor, prime contractor, or worker, you have a role to play in keeping the workplace safe. A public Day of Mourning ceremony will take place at Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver on Sunday, April 28th at 10:30 am, with the Olympic Cauldron being lit in honour of the day. A livestream of the event will be available at dayofmourning.bc.ca.
New paper: Does intra-provincial mobility matter as much as inter-provincial mobility?
January 2024: This paper uses residential and employer location from workers’ compensation data to identify non-mobile workers (working and living in the same region of BC), intra-provincially mobile workers (working and living in different regions of BC) and inter-provincially mobile workers (working in BC and living outside BC) to estimate differences in work disability duration. The findings suggest that work disability duration was longest for inter-provincially mobile workers, even after matching workers on similar characteristics. Differences were attenuated in some industries (e.g., natural resources and mining), possibly due to more familiarity with mobile workers, and/or greater ability to accommodate workers. Read more in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Presentations at Cascadia 2024
January 2024: PWHS PhD student Xiaocong Guo will present on heat-related illness and injury in BC in 2021 compared to 2001-2020; Research Associate Robert Macpherson will present on work injury among fisheries, aquaculture, maritime and land transportation workers, and Director of Privacy and Operations Suhail Marino will present posters evaluating OHS management systems at the Annual Cascadia Symposium on Environmental, Occupational, and Population Health, January 11-12, 2024 in Blaine, WA.
Registration, lodging and call for abstracts for Cascadia 2024: Occupational, Environmental & Population Health Conference
November 2024: The call for abstracts is open for podium presentations, ignite talks, and posters. Abstracts that relate to any occupational, environmental, or population health topics are welcome. Registration and hotel booking are now live.
Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) Conference
November 2023: Our team is really looking forward to the upcoming ACSA Conference Nov 22-23! Chris McLeod will be speaking on a panel on improving psychological health and safety at work, and our team will host a breakout session on OHS strategies and solutions for small and micro construction firms.
Were you a restaurant or bar worker during COVID-19?
October 2023: The FABS study is interviewing employees who were bullied, harassed, and/or experienced violence in the workplace. We offer $75 for participation and interviews can be conducted in Spanish, Filipino, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese, Chinese, and English. Share your story!
Call for proposals: Workers’ Health and Return to Work in a Changing World of Work
September 2023: The Policy and Practice in Return to Work after Work Injury (PPRTW) Research Group is presenting a conference in person at the University of Ottawa June 9 to 11, 2024. The conference will also include a tribute to the late professor Katherine Lippel, an international leader in labour and health policy, and founder of the research group holding the conference. Researchers, students, injured or ill workers, community members, advocates and policy-makers are invited to submit presentation proposals.
Presentation at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology
September 2023: PWHS PhD student Xiaocong (Maggie) Guo is presenting on the burden of occupational heat-related illness in BC and the impact of heatwaves on Sept 19 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.
