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Societal change in occupational health and safety
A Multidisciplinary Study of Factors Influencing Hazard Reduction Strategies, Using Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss as a Model
Completed
Noise induced hearing loss in the workplace remains high and despite evidence that engineered noise controls (ENCs) hold the most promise for reducing noise exposure for workers, they remain under-utilized. This research aims to find out why ENCs remain under-utilized, with a goal to develop recommendations and strategies to promote their usage.
| Principal Investigators: | Hugh W. Davies and Jean A. Shoveller (UBC) |
| Co-investigators: | Meghan Winters, Catherine M. Trask, Murray R. Hodgson, Tom Knight (UBC) |
| Funding Awarded: | $110,998 |
| Competition Year : | 2005 |
A Review of Evaluations of Social Marketing Campaigns in Occupational Injury, Disease or Disability Prevention
Completed
The objectives of this research are to conduct a review of high quality evidence of both the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of social marketing interventions in the occupational injury prevention. The outcome will be added value in clarifying the appropriate level and durations of social marketing expenditures aimed at changing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours in the area of workplace safety and occupational health.
| Principal Investigator: | Cameron A. Mustard (IWH) |
| Funding Awarded: | $92,000 |
| Competition Year: | 2005 |
Assessing Attitudes, Beliefs and Readiness for MSI Prevention in the Construction Industry
Completed
This research will develop a questionnaire tool for determining the attitudes and beliefs of workers and supervisors with respect to preventing musculoskeletal injuries in the construction industry. The main outcome will be recommendations — based on an analysis of the questionnaire results — for the most cost-effective resources to reduce these injuries.
| Principal Investigator: | Aleck Ostry (UBC) |
| Co-investigator: | Judy Village (UBC) |
| Funding Awarded: | $56,000 |
| Competition Year: | 2005 |
Health and Safety in B.C.’s Horticulture Industry: Impact of Ethnicity and Citizenship Status
The research project explores how B.C.’s horticultural industry can reduce or eliminate health and safety risks, focusing on the largest group employed in this sector: seasonal farm workers – whose profile is changing in terms of ethnicity and citizenship status.
| Principal Investigator: | Gerardo Otero (SFU) |
| Co-investigator: | Kerry Preibisch (University of Guelph, Ontario) |
| Funding Awarded: | $80,072 (2 years) |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |
Implementation and Evaluation of a "Safety Culture" in Residential Care through Involvement of Front-line Workers
Completed
This research aims to clearly define the elements of a positive work culture within a particular unit in a health authority – one which was previously identified as a “best performer” in relation to injury rates among its staff. The research also aims to determine ways in which these elements may be replicated in another work environment.
| Principal Applicant: | Waqar Mughal (Fraser Health) |
| Co-applicants: | Kelly Duke, Leah Thomas-Olson, Deanna Harrison, Nermin Helal (Fraser Health) |
| Funding Awarded: | $43,863* (Innovation) |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |
*In partnership with the Workers' Compensation Boards of Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Measuring the Effectiveness of a Hand Hygiene Campaign on Health Care Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Intention to Comply with Hand Hygiene Guidelines
Completed
This research will examine factors that influence compliance with hand cleaning; differences in beliefs and attitudes towards hand hygiene amongst various groups of health care workers and patients/residents; and components that contribute to a successful infection control campaign. The results will have benefit to direct future infection control initiatives.
| Principal Investigator: | Elizabeth A. Bryce (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority) |
| Co-investigators: | Leslie A. Forrester, Linda J. Kingsbury, Catherine Kidd (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority) |
| Funding Awarded: | $52,306 |
| Competition Year: | 2005 |
Nurses and Workplace Violence: Towards Effective Intervention
This study explores nurses’ experiences of violence they encounter in the context of their work. It will seek to understand nurses’ perceptions of both the impact workplace violence has on their ability to feel safe, healthy, and supported in the workplace and the impact these experiences have on their ability to function effectively at work. This information will be used to refine an existing anti-violence program and will form the basis for a future, more comprehensive intervention study on effective antiviolence programming.
| Principal Investigator: | Angela Henderson (UBC) |
| Co-investigators: | Patti Janssen (UBC); Becky Palmer, Ingrid Sochting, Ann Dauphinee, Kathleen MacKay (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority) |
| Funding Awarded: | $122,493 (2 years)* |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |
*In partnership with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board
Population-based Survey of Beliefs about Neck and Upper Extremity Injuries: Prelude to Social Marketing Campaigns Designed to Reduce Disability
Completed
The purpose of this project is to conduct a survey to measure the beliefs of adults in Alberta and B.C. concerning activity, rest, treatment, expected outcome and work ability in relation to whiplash injury, neck pain from work injury, and /or work-related upper extremity injury. This information will be used to help design a social marketing campaign to reduce chronic pain and disability related to these medical conditions.
| Principal Investigator: | Robert Ferrari (University of Alberta) |
| Co-investigators: | Douglas Gross , Linda Carroll, Anthony Russell (University of Alberta), Rachelle Buchbinder (Monash University, Melbourne Australia), Donald Krawciw (WorkSafeBC) |
| Funding Awarded: | $16,224* |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |
*In partnership with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board
The Alberta Back Pain Initiative Study: Evaluation of a Population Based Social Marketing Intervention for the Prevention of Disability Associated with Back Pain
This research project is designed to evaluate a back pain media campaign currently being run in Alberta. The evaluation will measure the campaign in terms of its impact on back pain beliefs, health care use, and work-related disability.
| Principal Investigator: | Douglas Gross (University of Alberta) |
| Co-investigators: | Anthony Russell, Robert Ferrari, Michelle Battie (University of Alberta) |
| Funding Awarded: | $92,000 (2 years)* |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |
*In partnership with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board
Using Social Marketing to Increase Occupational Health and Safety
Completed
This research will examine components of communication materials from social marketing campaigns on occupational health and safety aimed at young male workers in North America. It will also examine the attitudes of this target group toward these communication materials. The analysis conducted will be helpful for developing future social marketing campaigns that can persuade young male workers to consistently engage in safer behaviour at work.
| Principal Investigator: | Anne M. Lavack (University of Regina) |
| Co-investigators: | Michael D. Basil, Debra Z. Basil, Sameer Deshpande (University of Lethbridge , Alberta) James (Jim) H. Mintz (Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing, Ottawa, Ontario) |
| Funding Awarded: | $98,750 |
| Competition Year: | 2005 |
Working Safe in Aboriginal Communities
Completed
This research is concerned with injury prevention programs in small to medium Aboriginal business enterprises in B.C. The project aims to generate knowledge about the implementation and utilization of safety programs in Aboriginal enterprises and to recommend strategies and procedures to support a safe work environment within them.
| Principal Applicant: | David Johnson (United Native Nations) |
| Co-applicants: | Charles Horn (University of Victoria), Danielle Levine (Royal Roads University) |
| Funding Awarded: | $47,986 (Innovation) |
| Competition Year: | 2006 |