Issue:
The project brings together knowledge users and researchers from Canadian provinces, Australian states and New Zealand; jurisdictions that have similar economies, labour market institutions and approaches to workers’ compensation, but that have differences in regulations, policies and practices. Comparative studies across these jurisdictions have the potential to assess and evaluate occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation system performance and improve the health and safety of workers in Canada and internationally. Results from comparative studies are more powerful than those from single jurisdiction studies as it is possible to control for additional sources of variation that may be driving the findings and take advantage of natural policy experiments. The project builds on a recently funded grant by the Manitoba Worker’s Compensation Board that will examine the determinants of severe work-related injuries and long duration claims in Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario.
Objectives:
• To conduct an assessment of the data available in each jurisdiction to identify a comparable set of data across the participating jurisdictions.
• To explore logistics of developing and hosting comparable, cross-jurisdictional research dataset.
• To conduct a pilot project across the broader range jurisdictions that would provide proof in concept of the collaboration.
• To prepare project or programmatic research grants to submit to national research funding agencies.
Anticipated Results:
Results will be relevant to workers’ compensation boards, OHS regulators, employer and labour. Results also have the potential to directly inform policy and practice.
Investigators:
Ben Amick, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Cameron Mustard, Mieke Koehoorn, Allen Kraut, Alex Collie
