In 2011, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) provided for the eventual transfer of the research program from the WSIB to the Ministry of Labour (MOL).
Responsibility for the administration of the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD), the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CREOD), the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) and research project grants was transferred to the MOL in 2012 and 2013.
WSIB and research today
Under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA), the WSIB funds the Occupational Health and Safety Research Program, now administered by the MOL.
The WSIB continues to administer ongoing research project grants that were approved by the WSIB Board of Directors prior to 2012.
History of WSIB’s former research program: 1998-2012
In July 1997, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) Task Force on Research Strategy presented to the Board of Directors a proposal for a comprehensive research program in occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation.
What was proposed was a research strategy that combined excellence in research with a mechanism for determining research priorities and translating research results into practical applications. The report also called for the creation of an independent, multi-stakeholder Research Advisory Council (RAC) to oversee the implementation of the task force’s vision.
The Board of Directors accepted the task force’s report and appointed the first RAC in April 1998. RAC membership consisted of workers, employers, researchers, and representatives from the MOL, IWH, and Ontario’s Health and Safety Associations. A small Research Secretariat within the WSIB was also created to support the work of the Council.
Purpose of the former research program
The RAC’s research program supported research to assist employers, workers, health care professionals, health and safety professionals, policy makers, and everyone interested in the workplace safety and insurance system.
Over the years, WSIB-funded research has led to:
- improved prevention of work-related injury and illness
- better diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation
- fair compensation and return to work of injured workers
- fair premium assessment of employers.
Learn about RAC-funded projects.
Have questions?
For more information, please contact the Operational Policy Branch by email at research_secretariat@wsib.on.ca.