Eastern Canada Consortium on Workplace Health and Safety.
Planned pilot projects : Recipients of Pilot Research Project funding from the Consortium will be expected to design and carry out a project leading to a grant application for a larger study, and to make presentations on their research designs as part of the Interdisciplinary Seminar. ICE funding will support pilot projects, research assistance, co-investigator travel, grant writing, community partnership development, teleconferencing and videoconferencing, and the development of KT strategies for research projects.

Safety for male and female divers in the sea urchin fishery: This project will be led by one of SafetyNet’s core researchers, Dr. Matthew White, and will involve collaboration with Dalhousie University and Simon Fraser University. The project will examine sea urchin fishers’ diving habits and levels of training as they relate to WHS factors. If possible, there will be a follow-up study of gloves and other protective gear used in the harvesting operation, drawing on the expertise of IRSST in upper limb protection in manufacturing and other sectors. Researchers involved include Dr. Matthew White (Simon Fraser University), Dr. Jim Morrison (Simon Fraser University), Dr. Ken Ledez (Memorial University) and Dr. Stephen Cheung (Dalhousie University)



Testing work disability prevention tools and programs in a new setting: Work disability is a multidimensional problem influenced by the interaction between physical, psychological, social and environmental factors that involve the worker, the workplace, the compensation system and the health care system. A very large proportion of this disability can be prevented by effective management. The RRTQ’s PRÉVICAP rehabilitation program for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) combines interventions in the workplace, job modifications and inter-organizational partnerships with the stakeholders into an integrated disability program. It has also developed tools to help clinicians move from a traditional medical model to a work disability paradigm. This program will be introduced to Newfoundland via SafetyNet and a pilot project developed to explore ways to adapt the program for resource-dependent work in remote areas. Researchers involved include Dr. Patrick Loisel (Réseau en réadaptation au travail du Québec, or RRTQ), Dr. Stephen Bornstein (SafetyNet) and Dr. Barbara Neis (SafetyNet)



Low-back injury prevention in resource-based occupations: Low-back pain (LBP) and overexertion injuries of the trunk region are a major cause of sickness and disability in many economic sectors. Low-back loading as a result of manual materials handling is most consistently related to this kind of injury and it is a particular problem in offshore oil, fishing, mining and forestry. Research is badly needed on the interaction between heavy low-back loading in these sectors and other factors such as moving/vibrating platforms, uneven terrain, unstable underfoot conditions, and work in confined spaces and in extreme cold. This pilot project will begin the process of cataloguing injuries, devising measurement techniques, conducting biomechanical/ergonomic assessments of high-risk jobs, and developing a predictive model. Researchers involved include Dr. Scott Mackinnon (Memorial University), Dr. Wayne Albert (University of New Brunswick), and Dr. André Plamondon (IRSST).



Interdisciplinary forestry WHS research: Forestry is the second most dangerous occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. Injury prevention has been hampered by limited KT of research results done elsewhere, rapid technological changes and spatial shifts in forestry work, and a lack of local research to identify long-term trends in injuries, fatalities and risk factors. The pilot project will develop the community partnerships, research design, and tools needed to track injury risks in harvesting, silviculture, transport and millwork in Newfoundland and Labrador over the past 10-15 years. This will involve the development of a new database linking Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission data with data from other regulatory and industry sources. Priority areas will be identified for translation of research done elsewhere, as will sources of funding for this KT. An interdisciplinary, collaborative research program involving community partners from industry, government, labour and First Nations will be developed to identify and address knowledge gaps. Researchers include Dr. Jeremy Rickards (University of New Brunswick), Dr. James Lawson (Memorial University), Dr. Peter Sinclair (Memorial University) and Dr. Barbara Neis (SafetyNet)



Improving the diagnosis of occupational asthma (OA) through computerized expert system software: This pilot project emerges from SafetyNet’s current interdisciplinary snow crab OA project. In carrying out this research, we have identified the need for software based on current occupational asthma (OA) guidelines to support the diagnosis of OA, especially for use by clinicians working in rural and remote areas with limited specialist support. The software will lead health-care professionals through the step-by-step process required to provide a preliminary report supporting (or not) a diagnosis of OA. Each module will collect the information and, based on an algorithm, provide the next steps or other tests required to produce a diagnosis. The software will be web-based to allow collaboration and communication between rural health centres and tertiary care centres and could result in a new regional or even national database on OA. Researchers are Dr. André Cartier (Hopital Sacré-Couer), Ms. Lise Horth Susin (SafetyNet), Dr. Barbara Neis (SafetyNet) and Gilles Turcot (IRSST).