After consulting with its constituent groups, the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba developed and implemented the Research and Workplace Innovation Program (RWIP) in 2009.

Each year, RWIP makes available $1 million to fund high-quality scientific research and programs that develop, implement or evaluate innovative, practical, shop-floor solutions for improving workplace health and safety.

The RWIP is now accepting applications for funding. Click here for application forms and for more information about RWIP.
 
The projects listed below were all developed with financial support from the Workers Compensation Board.

Scientific Research

Manager and Supervisor Roles:  Enhancing the Safety and Health Climate for Health Care Providers

Statistics have shown that workplace safety is a growing concern for Canadian workers. In response to this need and recognizing the particular vulnerability of the health care sector, the purpose of this project is to improve our understanding of the role of health care managers and supervisors in creating a safe work climate for non-supervisory health care employees. In this study we collected information that can be used to develop an innovative approach to preventing workplace injuries and illnesses in the health care sector.

Download the supplimentary PowerPoint Presentation

Young Worker Responses to Workplace Hazards

This study explores the extent to which young workers respond to hazards in the workplace by using exiting (Exit), voicing concerns about a hazard (Voice), taking a wait and see attitude (Patience) or ignoring (Neglect) personal safety in the face of danger or potential hazards. An unexpected result of the study was the emergence of a fifth response category, Compliance.

Injury Prevention

HOME CARE WORKER MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY PREVENTION

The importance of the project is concentrated on educating the worker to understand their risks for musculoskeletal injury, promote personal safety, reduce the number of injuries and increase the retention of their services by making them see themselves as a valuable member of the team.

SAFE Work for an Aging Workforce (series of audio recordings)

What began as a conference held by A. Dolhy Ergonomics Inc. in April 2008 has turned into a program that is rolling out piece-by-piece. Dolhy presented the conference with the support of Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba funding and the aim of providing information on aging workers' health, safety and wellness issues, helping workplaces improve working conditions, differentiating between aging worker issues and universal issues and discussing worker issues in a concentrated setting.

Seeing the Workplace with New Eyes (resource guide)

Seeing the Workplace with New Eyes is a guide designed to assist new and established workplace safety and health committees, along with worker safety and health representatives. It is suggested as an effective orientation tool for new committee members to learn responsibilities and also to help established committees evaluate and improve upon strengths and weaknesses.

This manual is designed to help establish occupational exposure limits in your workplace. For more information on occupational exposure limits, visit the TLVS website.

Manitoba Immigrants' Safety Initiative

The Manitoba Immigrants' Safety Initiative (MISI) aims to prevent injury, death and workplace-related illness in new and existing immigrant workers in Manitoba. These resources were developed to help all Manitobans - new and existing - overcome language, cultural and informational barriers on their way to developing SAFE work practices and procedures.

Development and Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Groups for Workplaces in Rural Manitoba

This report summarizes the outcomes of the development of six rural health and safety groups in the Northern, Western, Parkland, Southern, Eastern and Interlake regions of the Province. Participants included health and safety managers, safety professionals, and health and safety committee members. Regular education sessions delivered via video conferencing provided safety group participants with topical health and safety information.  For more information about developing a health and safety group, please contact the Manitoba Federation of Labour Occupational Health Centre at mflohc.mb.ca.

Welding Exposure in Manitoba

This two-year study of 40 workplaces across Manitoba demonstrates that a large number of Manitoba welders are overexposed to hazardous welding fumes. Overexposure to welding fumes can cause respiratory (lung), reproductive and central nervous system illnesses as well as cancer. The study also identifies a number of proven methods to reduce exposure to welding fumes. 
 

Compensation, Disability Management and Return to Work

Modified Work Practices and Quality of Life Outcomes for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries

Knowing the variables that can influence an injured worker's quality of life benefits all stakeholders. An improved quality of life may influence a worker's recovery time, reduce the amount of reoccurrences and improve the morale of all workers. This resource focuses on the quality of life of workers with musculoskeletal injuries participating in a return to work program.

Disability Management Practices in the Construction Sector

This project examines the utilization of disability management programming in the Manitoba Building Construction sector and provides practical solutions to improve programming. The lack of alternate jobs and jobs with modified duties is considered to be a significant barrier for return to work in Manitoba’s Building Construction Sector.  Working on site with four companies in this sector, this report demonstrates that opportunities to provide modified work emerge when jobs are broken down into component tasks.
 

Workplace Innovation

Resources for this section will be posted as they become available.

Transferring Research Knowledge into the Workplace

Systematic Review of Prognostic Factors for Workers' Time Away from Work Due to Acute Low Back Pain: An Update of a Systematic Review

How long does it take to return to work following acute low-back pain (LBP)? This systematic review aimed to find out. The goal of this study was to assess the evidence on factors that predict duration of sick leave in workers in the beginning of a LBP-related sick leave episode.
 

Strategic Leadership for Safety: A Manitoba Perspective

This report outlines the result of a project investigating leadership commitment to the health and safety climate in workplaces. It summarizes available evidence from different disciplines and, drawing on anecdotal information from interviews with managers in Manitoba and elsewhere, provides commentary on safety promotion initiatives. The outcomes of the report will be used to develop occupational health and safety strategies to reduce injuries and promote the importance of leadership in creating safe Manitoba workplaces.