Online Occupational Health Resources
Note: The following descriptions for the below institutions and agencies are taken or paraphrased from the information found on their websites.
Canada
- Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC)
- The Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada is a central source of information related to workers’ compensation in Canada.
- National Work Injury/Disease Statistics Program (NWISP)
- This is a collection of data on work-related diseases, accepted lost time claims and fatalities across twenty major industrial groups, sorted into ten subset categories.
- Key Statistical Measures (KSMs)
- Key Statistical Measures are a set of key financial and statistical indicators which can be used to describe the workers’ compensation system in Canada and to provide comparisons across jurisdictions. This fact sheet gives an overview of the KSM program and lists the statistics available.
- Health Canada
- “Health Canada is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible, and works to reduce health risks.”
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
- “Health Canada contributes to occupational health and safety by coordinating the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and monitoring workplace radiation exposure. Health Canada provides employee assistance and occupational health services to federal employees.”
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- “The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System is Canada's national hazard communication standard. The key elements of the system are hazard classification, cautionary labelling of containers, the provision of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and worker education and training programs.”
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
- The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety “is Canada's national resource for the advancement of workplace health and safety”. They “offer a range of workplace health and safety services to help raise awareness, assess risks, implement prevention programs, and improve health, safety and well-being.”
- Flu and Infectious Disease Outbreaks Business Continuity Plan
- This publication provides “a definition of business continuity, what to include in a business continuity plan and what workplaces can do in the event of pandemic flu.”
- Exposure Limits to Chemical and Biological Agents
- “The following are the references to the provincial and federal legislation where you would find the occupational exposure limits for the different jurisdictions in Canada.”
- Hearing Conservation Program
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- “The Public Health Agency of Canada is part of the federal health portfolio. Its activities focus on preventing disease and injuries, responding to public health threats, promoting good physical and mental health, and providing information to support informed decision-making.”
- Emergency preparedness and response
- The following is a listing of resources related to emergency preparedness and response in Canada
Provincial Resources
Alberta
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
- Alberta OHS prevents “work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities by working with employers and workers.”
- Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code
- “Rules for health, safety and radiation in Alberta’s workplaces fall under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code.”
- Lead Exposure Control Plan
- Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB-Alberta)
British Columbia
- Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
- “The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation and the OHS provisions of the Workers Compensation Act contain legal requirements for workplace health and safety that must be met by all workplaces under the inspection jurisdiction of WorkSafeBC. Some sections of the Workers Compensation Act and OHS Regulation have associated policies and guidelines.”
- WorkSafeBC – Health & Safety
- BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA)
- The BCCSA is the safety association for BC's construction industry.
Manitoba
- The Workplace Safety and Health Act
- Occupational Exposure Limits for Airborne Hazardous Substances
- Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Saskatchewan
Ontario
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Ontario designated substances as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace health and safety
- These are resources for following Ontario’s occupational health and safety laws.
- Current occupational exposure limits for Ontario workplaces under Regulation 833
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB)
- These are the “links, forms, research and materials related to the WSIB, the workplace compensation system and other relevant subjects that are frequently referenced or requested.”
- Operational Policy Manual (OPM)
- “The Operational Policy Manual is the source of operational policy for the WSIB. It contains policies that the WSIB uses to make decisions about rights and obligations.”
Quebec
- “An Act respecting occupational health and safety” in Quebec
- Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST)
- The IRSST “conducts and funds research activities aimed at eliminating risks to worker health and safety and at promoting worker rehabilitation.”
- Prevention and Safety
Prince Edward Island
New Brunswick
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- WorkSafeNB
- WorkSafeNB – Guide to Workplace Health & Safety
- “This guide describes the elements of a formal health and safety program, and the roles and responsibilities of those preparing and maintaining the program.”
Nova Scotia
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Nova Scotia Labour and Advanced Education – Health and Safety
- Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
- Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia – Safety and Prevention
- These are “tools and resources for creating and maintaining a safe workplace. This includes interactive tools and key safety resources for employers and workers.”
- Work Safe.For Life. – Prevention Resources
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories and Nunavut
- Safety Legislation
- Workers’ Safety & Compensation Commission (WSCC)
- Workers’ Safety & Compensation Commission (WSCC) – Health & Safety
- “WSCC’s prevention services work with employers to ensure they comply with those laws to keep their workers safe and provide education, resources, and support for businesses who require further assistance.”
Yukon
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board
- Northern Safety Network Yukon (NSNY)
- The NSNY’s goal “is to foster a commitment to occupational health and safety among Yukon workers and employers”. They also offer “job-specific training in a number of areas.”
United States of America
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created by Congress with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 “to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.”
- Resources for Employers and Employees
- Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets
- Resources for Young Worker Safety and Health
- American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)
- “The American Society of Safety Professionals is a global association for occupational safety and health professionals”. They “provide education, advocacy, standards development and a professional community to their members in order to advance their careers and the Occupational Safety and Health profession as a whole”. The web link shows “key topics in safety, with webinars, articles and more.”
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- “The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR protects communities from harmful health effects related to exposure to natural and man-made hazardous substances.”
- American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
- The American Industrial Hygiene Association “is the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring OEHS in the workplace and community.”
- Consumer Resources
- “Many industrial hygiene topics are relevant to consumers. AIHA offers these resources as a public service to help prepare people to handle different crises that might affect individuals, families, and the community.”
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Indoor Air Quality
- Ergonomics
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- The CDC is the USA’s “leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health.”
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Health Topics A-Z
- “Diseases and conditions; healthy living; workplace safety; environmental health; injury, violence and safety, global health and more.”
- Injury Prevention and Control
- The CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center) “has been a leader in protecting Americans from injury and violence so that individuals, families, and communities can be safe, healthy, and thriving”. They “work proactively with their partners to track trends, conduct research, raise awareness, and implement prevention programs.”
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is “a research agency focused on the study of worker safety and health, and empowering employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces. NIOSH is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
- Workbook for designing, implementing, and evaluating a sharps injury prevention program
- National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)
- The CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health “plans, directs and coordinates a program to protect the American people from environmental hazards.”
- Updated U.S. Public Health Service guidelines for the management of occupational exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis.
- Travelers’ Health
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®)
- ACGIH® is a “charitable scientific organization that advances occupational and environmental health.” Examples of this include their “annual editions of the TLVs® and BEIs® book and work practice guides in ACGIH®’s Signature Publications.”
- ACGIH® Signature Publications
United Kingdom
- Health and Safety Executive
- Health Surveillance – Guidance for Occupational Health Professionals
- Guidance on Health Surveillance for Occupational Asthma
- Vibration risk assessment
- Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome annual screening questionnaire for health surveillance
Australia
- Safe Work Australia
- Safe Work Australia is an Australian government statutory agency which develops “national policy to improve work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia.”
- Resources and Publications
- Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS)
- The AIHS is Australia’s “national association for the health and safety profession.”
- Farmsafe Australia
- “Farmsafe Australia is the national entity connecting state farming organizations, peak commodity bodies, influential advocacy bodies and other groups that share a common interest in agricultural health and safety.”
New Zealand
- Health and safety representatives: health and safety basics
- The purpose of this resource is to “provide an overview of health and safety systems and legislation in New Zealand and introduce some important health and safety concepts that can assist Health and Safety Representatives in their roles.”
- WorkWell
- “WorkWell is a free, workplace well-being initiative which supports workplaces to ‘work better through well-being.”
International Resources
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- The ILO is “the only tripartite U.N. agency, which since 1919, brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.”
- Guidelines for the use of the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
- “The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The objective of the IARC is to promote international collaboration in cancer research.”
- IARC Monographs on the identification of carcinogenic hazards to humans