Occupational Disease

The workplace can trigger or induce asthma through a variety of different types of occupational exposures. Cleaning agents have been commonly implicated as causative or triggering factors in work-related asthma (WRA), mainly from epidemiologic studies. The purpose of this study is to provide a comparison between socio-demographic and clinical features in patients exposed to cleaning and non-cleaning products.

Sun exposure is a serious and preventable occupational hazard causing cancer, eye damage, skin damage and heat stress. Recent findings from a study conducted by researchers in Ontario indicate the importance of implementing sun safety initiatives in the workplace.  These results have also helped developed a slew of resources available through our website.

Hot, humid conditions in restaurant kitchens can present heat stress and related injuries to workers. WSPS recently supported researchers at Ryerson University to implement a study that will determine the environmental conditions in restaurant kitchens in Toronto, Ontario. Once complete WSPS will disseminate study results, keep checking the Research Portal for updates.

WSPS in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and Ryerson University are examining the feasibility of developing an audit tool to help co-chairs of Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC’s) in small- and medium-sized companies to identify occupational hazards in their workplaces, and rank and prioritize them in order to determine prevention measures. Once complete WSPS will disseminate study results, information sheets and the audit tool. Keep checking the Research Portal for updates.

WSPS in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre are conducting a research project that seeks to better understand airborne and skin exposure in Ontario nail salons. This study will investigate a broader range of chemicals than in previous studies and will include assessment of skin exposure, an important route of exposure that has not been a focus in previous studies in nail salons. Once complete WSPS will disseminate study results, keep checking the Research Portal for updates.

WSPS in partnership with the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CREOD) has launched a new online tool that allows workers and employers to customize a series of seven Occupational Skin Disease (Dermatitis) awareness poster templates and then download the posters directly from the website. This resource is available at no additional cost. To learn more please visit the WSPS Interactive Poster Application.

WSPS with the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CREOD) has launched 6 new HAVS awareness posters. These can be downloaded directly from our website and helped used as an aid to raise worker awareness. This resource is available at no additional cost.