Province Re-invests in Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) at Laurentian University

CROSH continues its mandate to prevent occupational injury and illness through partnerships with workplaces in Northern Ontario.

(April 18, 2023) – The Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) at Laurentian University is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) has invested $2.5 million, over the next 5 years, to support the core activities of the Centre.

“Our mission is simple – to keep workers out of danger,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is proud to be funding programs like this in Northern Ontario that keep workers safe on the job and give them and their families greater peace of mind. Working together, we are well on our way to making Ontario the best place in North America to live, work and raise a family.”

The province understands that Northern Ontario has unique occupational health and safety problems to solve and recognizes the role of CROSH as a partner research Centre in achieving its strategic objectives. For example, Northern communities have higher concentrations of resource-based industries, unique environmental challenges, as well as differing demographics.

“CROSH is an excellent example of a research centre working directly with industry partners and the public sector to solve problems in our local communities. We are thankful for the Ministry’s investment in this important research, ” said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

In the past 5 years, CROSH has solved workplace problems with 37 business partners, placed 71 students in paid internships, and awarded $124,000 in student scholarships. In that time, the research centre has also raised over $5.5 million in grants, research contracts, and donations.

“CROSH does world-class research with state-of-the-art facilities that no other universities in Ontario have. We are fortunate to have this research happening right here in Northern Ontario, in the communities that will directly benefit from these advancements,” said Dr. Tammy Eger, Vice-President Research at Laurentian University. CROSH is home to the $1 million Workplace Simulator, infrastructure that allows for the recreation of work tasks predominant in Northern Ontario, to allow for the testing of solutions in a lab setting, and a mobile research lab to allow the solutions to be taken directly to the work sites and communities to be implemented.

CROSH Director, Dr. Sandra Dorman added, “This investment allows us to expand our research services and student training while maintaining our system partner collaborations. It also underscores the province’s commitment to the long-term sustainability of the first Occupational Health and Safety Research Centre addressing the specific research needs of Northern Ontario.”

This news release is available on Laurentian University’s website.

Register now for WBV101: Whole-body vibration – Health effects and evaluation in the workplace

Sept 25 – 28, 2023

WBV101 provides learners with an appreciation of the nature of whole-body vibration (WBV) hazards in the workplace and the effects of WBV on a worker. The course also outlines the detailed approach of carrying out a WBV assessment in the workplace and the significance of measured data in relation to the various standards of compliance.

Expand your health and safety-related skills and knowledge with this CROSH course. Developed and instructed by Dr. Katie Goggins, this WBV101 can help you further your professional safety career: Course hours can count towards Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE), Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP), and Canadian Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH) designations.

Learn more about WBV101 and explore the syllabus.

Ski Waxing Chemical Hazards

Ski season is upon us. Did you know that there are chemical hazards associated with ski waxing? You can view and download our poster and brochure at: https://crosh.ca/ski-waxing-chemical-hazards/

Occupational Fitness Assessments

CROSH is ready to help your workplace with it’s occupational fitness assessment needs. With our state-of-the-art equipment and technical expertise, we provide precision physiological and body composition measurements. Learn more at: https://crosh.ca/services/fitness-assessment/

CROSHCon 2023: Resetting the Dial on Workplace Climate

On January 20th, 2023, join us for CROSHCon 2023: Resetting the Dial on Workplace Climate. Our virtual conference begins with a keynote address from Behavioural Change Expert and Researcher, Dr. Lisa Bélanger. Dr. Bélanger will talk on “Reimagining Work: The Skills, Habits, and Work Design to Improve Workplace Climate”. Following the keynote address will be presentations from our researchers and students on their leading health and safety research.

Stay tuned for the release of the conference program!

Click here to register for free.

New Paper Published from Seed Grant-Funded Research

CROSH student member and Laurentian University PhD in Human Kinetics student Jonah D’Angelo is first author on a new paper published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.

You can read it here: Validating the Remote First Aid Self-Efficacy Scale for Use in Evaluation and Training of First Responders in Remote Contexts

The research was funded by a CROSH Seed Grant.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to CROSH student member and Laurentian University Masters of Human Kinetics student Azin Zargham for successfully presenting her major paper on the “Evaluation of Resting Metabolic Rate After Weight Loss”. Azin’s research can help workplaces and workers address the high prevalence of obesity in Canada, which impacts worker health on the job and at home. Her supervisor was Dr. Sandra Dorman and her second reader was Dr. Alison Godwin.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr Caroline Dignard, who successfully defended her PhD in Rural and Northern Health from Laurentian University. This accomplishment is the culmination of years of determination and hard work, and it is a testament to Dr Dignard’s dedication to occupational health and safety research and the wellbeing of workers. Her thesis is titled “Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Mining Workers: Understanding the Correlates of Mental Health and Wellbeing”, and her supervisor is Dr Michel Larivière. Félicitations, Dr Dignard !

CO2 Monitoring Project – Partnership with Greater Sudbury Public Library

We’ve partnered with Greater Sudbury Public Library (GSPL) to help Sudburians understand the importance of air quality and ventilation in their homes and workspaces during an airborne pandemic like COVID-19.

CROSH has provided GSPL with portable, easy-to-use CO2 monitors that Sudburians can borrow from several area branches. Borrowers can follow an information card and an online DIY assessment to measure CO2 at home, with several activities to help them understand the air quality and ventilation in their space.

We exhale carbon dioxide (CO2) when we breathe. By measuring the concentration of CO2 in an indoor area, we can get an idea of the amount of exhaled air in that space that we are rebreathing. Higher levels of CO2 are linked to a known decrease in cognitive functioning and other potential poor health outcomes. They also let us know if the air in a space is being replaced frequently enough.

CROSH will use the results from the online assessments to see whether a scientific tool and a simple experiment can improve peoples’ understanding of: air quality, the basics of ventilation, and what factors impact air quality during an airborne pandemic.

Sudburians can participate in this experiment and learn about air quality and ventilation in their own homes by borrowing a CO2 monitor from one of the following GSPL branches:

  • Chelmsford Public Library and Citizen Service Centre
  • Valley East Public Library and Citizen Service Centre
  • Main Public Library
  • New Sudbury Public Library
  • South End Public Library
  • Lively Public Library and Citizen Service Centre

The co-research leads for the project are Dr. Alison Godwin (CROSH Associate Director; Associate Professor at Laurentian University) and Dr. Katie Goggins (CROSH Senior Scientist).

Click here to go to the study page.

New Courses!

We’re excited to announce two new courses for health and safety professionals. Developed and instructed by CROSH Senior Scientist Dr. Katie Goggins, these courses provide a foundational understanding of Whole-Body Vibration in the workplace. Learn more.

Knowledge Transfer Kits

Does your workplace need ready-made safety resources for mobile equipment? CROSH Knowledge Transfer Kits provide a comprehensive package to teach your workplace about hazards from working on and around mobile equipment used in Northern Ontario industries like mining, forestry, construction, pulp and paper, and steel manufacturing.

  • Vibration exposure
  • Line of sight issues and situational awareness
  • Fatigue

Learn more

2021-2022 Annual Report

The CROSH team has accomplished a great deal in the past year. See what we’ve been up to in our 2021-2022 Annual Report.

Free OHS Guidebooks

Looking for comprehensive, evidenced-based guides to workplace health and safety topics? CROSH researchers have synthesized the relevant research and literature on a number of topics, such as thermal stress and reproductive health in the workplace. Download the guidebooks for free.