| Year Funded: 2010 | Budget: | Funding Agency: Institute for Work & Health (IWH), Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| Title: | High Risk Firm Initiative: Assessing the Impact of Targeted Prevention Consultation Services (IWH Project 0432) | |
| Category: | Intervention Research | |
| Subcategory: | Intervention Research | |
| Keywords: | occupational health and safety, labour inspection, effectiveness, prevention | |
| Link to research website: | www.iwh.on.ca | |
Issue:
In 2005, the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) led the development of the Ontario High Risk Firm Initiative, a comprehensive approach to workplace health and safety that aligns the efforts of the MOL inspectorate and the technical consulting and training staff of the Health and Safety Associations (HSAs). Under this initiative, the Ontario government committed to the goal of reducing workplace injuries by 20 per cent over a four-year period. The initiative features two core elements: 1) enhanced inspection and enforcement of health-and-safety systems in Ontario workplaces; and 2) the delivery of education, training and consultation services. The initiative targets Ontario workplaces with the poorest health-and-safety performance.
Objectives:
The goal of this project is:
• to assess whether the High Risk Firm Initiative (HRFI) produces changes in health and safety practices and final outcomes (claims rates; costs and consequences of the initiative) in Ontario firms with costs appropriate to effectiveness and benefits.
Anticipated Results:
MOL and WSIB continue to be involved with the project by providing data, and helping with interpretation of findings. The results of this research project will have major and broad implications for policy makers interested in the prevention of work-related injuries and the communication and enforcement of workplace safety standards at a system-wide level, both within and outside of Canada.
Investigators:
Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Benjamin C. Amick III, Philip Bigelow, Donald Cole, Cameron Mustard, Lynda Robson, Peter Smith, Emile Tompa, Dwayne Van Eerd (Institute for Work & Health)
