It’s a call for ideas. WorkSafeBC invites BC researchers to apply for Innovation at Work grants to pursue “practical shop floor solutions” to specific problems.
Speech Bubble, Image credit: Ian Burt on Flickr
In 2014, WorkSafeBC awarded $499,799 in funding to eight new research projects aimed at changing attitudes to workplace safety and preventing occupational diseases.
It’s amazing to see the solutions people create when they work together, and I like to see their ideas being supported.
“The knowledge generated by these studies will support the development of new, evidence-based approaches for reducing work-related injury, illness, disease, and death, and minimizing the associated human and economic costs,” says Ed McCloskey, Director of WorkSafeBC’s Research Secretariat, quoted in the above news release.
These projects included:
* A Multidisciplinary Study of Factors Influencing Hazard Reduction Strategies, Using Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss as a Model (UBC)
* Assessing Attitudes, Beliefs, and Readiness for Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention in the Construction Industry (UBC)
* A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Social Marketing Campaigns in Occupational Injury Prevention (Institute for Work & Health)
* Measuring the Effectiveness of a Hand Hygiene Campaign on Health Care Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intention to Comply with Hand Hygiene Guidelines (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority)
* Using Social Marketing to Increase Occupational Health and Safety (University of Regina)
* Sustaining Health Care Professionals During Pandemic Influenza: A Pre-incident Pilot Project (UBC)
* Reduction of Asthma Risks Among Cleaners in the B.C. Health Care Industry: Protocol Development (UBC/ Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare in BC)
* Occupational Exposures to Fertilizer and Contaminants among B.C. Tree Planters (UBC/ Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada)
Who is eligible for an Innovations at Work grant?
The Innovations at Work grant is available to any Canadian resident, in addition to university researchers (as you see in the list above). Successful applicants must have experience, expertise, and input from those affected by the problem and solution.
“Workers, employers, researchers, and educators may become involved in creating healthy and safe workplaces in BC and/or in the partners’ jurisdictions by helping to find solutions to the priority problems which affect workers. We encourage collaboration….”
Researchers are asked to file “notice of intent” to apply for a grant by September 14. Final deadline is November 2, 2015.
Please share this information far and wide because people have so many good ideas and solutions that can be put into action with the right support.
