Solving health and safety problems through research & innovation

Research Projects

Services (for workplaces, organizations, communities, and individuals)

Students

A CROSH team member delivering a training session to a group.

Featured Projects

Icon of boots and hand experiencing vibration

Hand- and foot-transmitted vibration exposure study

CO2 monitor next to an illustrated bus stop

Determining the Reliability of the Vitalight CO2 Monitor VIA the assessment of the CO2 Profile on City Transit Buses

electronics on a desk for an instrumented insole for foot-transmitted vibration project

Development of an Instrumented Insole to Measure Foot-Transmitted Vibration.

Heat Stress Toolkit Logo

Heat Stress Toolkit

Logo for the Diesel Particulate Project

Diesel Particulate Project

Close up view of mining rubber boots on a metal surface with a rock wall in the background

Foot-Transmitted Vibration

Recent Publications

Graphic explaining a recent research publication. X-ray like image of a human chest showing the heart. CROSH Logo. Text that reads “Cardiovascular Disease Rates in Ontario Miners exposed to McIntyre Powder. McIntyre Powder was developed as a treatment to prevent silicosis, a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. Between 1943 and 1979 in Ontario, underground mine workers were required to breathe McIntyre Powder before (and sometimes after) every work shift. The powder, however, has been associated with several serious long-term health effects. In this study, the team found a link between exposure to McIntyre Powder and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.” The study authors are Andrew Zarnke PhD, Sarah Rhodes PhD, Nathan DeBono PhD, Colin Berriault MA, Sandra C. Dorman PhD
Image of a health care professional holding an older person's hand. Text that reads "Patient and Professional Experience of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in Northern Ontario. The team conducted interviews with RA patients, pharmacists, family physicians, advanced clinical practitioners in arthritis care, and a rheumatologist in Northern Ontario to analyze the themes within each group’s experience with RA and its treatment. All groups mentioned long wait times to access specialized care and the importance of local care." Authors "Nancy Lightfoot, PhD, David Marsh, MD, Sherry Mongeau, PhD, Susan Boyko, M.Ed., PhD, Behdin Nowrouzi‐Kia, PhD, Lucio Fabris, RPh"
Summary of research publication that has an icon of a miner and the text "8 Recommendations". Further text reads, "Mental Health and Wellbeing of Ontario Mining Workers. The team developed a series of evidence-based recommendations for improving the mental health and wellbeing of Ontario mining workers. These eight recommendations stem from the team's previous study findings which examined stress, anxiety, and depression in this workforce. Caroline Dignard, PhD, Dr. Michel Larivière, C.Psych, Nancy Lightfoot, PhD, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, OT Reg. (Ont.), PhD, FRSA, Dr. Line Tremblay, C.Psych, Zsuzsanna Kerekes, PhD". Logo of the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health at the bottom.
Research summary for "Studying the Usability of a VR Interface in Safety Training". In exploring the usability of traditional methods of safety training, like videos, versus VR simulations, the team found that users generally preferred VR training. However, one group found video-based training easier to understand. Based on these findings, the team proposed recommendations for integrating a VR interface into traditional training methods." Authors: Pranil G C, BE, MSc and Dr. Ratvinder Grewal, PhD
Research summary card for paper on "Gender-Based Violence in the Construction and Natural Resources Industries". Icon of a female construction worker and icons representing physical and emotional violence. Text that reads "The team reviewed existing studies to identify the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in the construction and natural resources industries. They found that GBV is common in these industries, and contributes negatively to mental health and well-being. Further research is needed on interventions that effectively address this issue in male-dominated workplaces." List of the study authors: Joyce Lo , Sharan Jaswal , Matthew Yeung, Vijay Kumar Chattu, Ali Bani-Fatemi , Aaron Howe, Amin Yazdani, Basem Gohar , Douglas P. Gross, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia

Upcoming Events

  • April 30

    WSN’s Mining Health and Safety Conference

  • May 3 @ 9:00 am

    Steps for Life

  • May 5

    Health and Safety Week

  • June 4 @ 10:00 am

    Annual Membership Meeting

Meeting table surrounded by chairs in an office environment

Explore Our Facilities

The home lab of the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health is housed in the Ben Avery Building on the Laurentian University Campus.

Illustration of the inside of the CROSH workplace simulator lab and the CROSH mobile research lab on a northern ontario road. Icons representing wildland firefighting, construction, healthcare, transportation, and mining. Text that reads "Field to Lab to Field"