Research Project Summary

Year Funded: 2013 Budget: Funding Agency: Ontario Ministry of Labour
Title: Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Occupational Health & Safety Regulatory Enforcement (IWH Project 1290)
Category: Intervention Research
Subcategory: Intervention Research
Keywords: systematic review, labour inspection, occupational health and safety, interventions
Link to research website:

Issue:

This study expands and updates the systematic review on the effectiveness of OHS regulatory enforcement published by Tompa et al (2007). Since the completion of that review, a number of studies have been published on the topic. Consequently, an update on the review is warranted. Furthermore, we will expand the scope of the review to include a broader set of methodological approaches and outcomes. We also plan to include intermediate outcomes such as safety compliance and safety investment, and document in greater detail the evidence on how policy levers change behaviours.

Objectives:

• To identify published peer-reviewed and selected grey literature studies on the effectiveness of OHS legislation and regulatory enforcement at improving OHS performance.
• To evaluate the quality of identified studies and synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of OHS legislation and regulatory enforcement policy levers.
• To disseminate results to stakeholders across Canada and internationally through various media.

Anticipated Results:

This study will undoubtedly be of considerable interest to Ministries of Labour, particularly given new challenges of tight financial resources and changing labour-market contracting practices. The results will interest employers and labour representatives. The study will be of interest to international stakeholders involved in or affected by OHS regulatory enforcement.

Investigators:

Emile Tompa, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Emma Irvin, Ellen MacEachen, Quenby Mahood, Chris McLeod, Michael Foley