10 Oct 2023
OCRC is working with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) to establish the Exposure Data System for Ontario. The goal of this project is to develop a digital data system of Ontario workplace exposure measurements. This initiative aims to address a key gap in Ontario’s occupational health and safety system: the lack of access to high quality exposure data.
The creation of Exposure Data System is one of several initiatives the MLITSD has committed to in response to an independent review of Ontario’s system for preventing and responding to occupational diseases.
This project will be completed in several steps. The OCRC will work with the MLITSD to collect and digitize data from workplace inspection records held by the MLITSD. The project will also include data from other sources willing to provide their workplace exposure measurement data. In the long-term, the data system will allow users to query the data by occupation, industry, sample type, region, and time-period.
Occupational disease is a significant contributor to the burden of disease in Ontario. Understanding occupational exposures – the types of hazards present in Ontario workplaces and the levels of exposure that can occur – is an important step in preventing occupational disease. However, there is a lack of exposure measurement data available and accessible for surveillance purposes in Ontario. Ontario-specific occupational exposure surveillance data is needed to:
The Exposure Data System will help to fill this gap in Ontario-specific occupational exposure surveillance data. It will be a valuable resource for occupational health and safety professionals, practitioners, policy makers, and researchers.
Results from a study by OCRC and the Institute for Work and Health.
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