Michael Lewis
Special to Ontario Construction Report
Work-related psychological injuries are increasing on construction sites, and they lead to more time off the job, higher costs, and more complex return-to-work processes than physical injuries, according to a report by the Toronto-based Institute for Work and Health (IWH).
The non-profit research organization in a briefing said psychological injuries are a growing challenge for occupational health and safety (OHS) and workers’ compensation systems. And while authorities are developing new approaches, variation in policy and practice are limiting their effectiveness.
The research involved 14 Canadian and nine Australian jurisdictions and interviews with 32 experts across 16 jurisdictions. It was funded by the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.
The researchers looked at how different jurisdictions prevent workplace psychosocial hazards such as high workload and harassment and how they compensate for psychological injuries and support workers through recovery.
The briefing by Peter Smith, president and senior scientist at the institute and Diane Dyson, the IWH’s interim director of strategic relation, was presented in late May as part of the IWH Speakers Series.
Researchers found several of the jurisdictions studied have a single organization responsible for both prevention and compensation, while others split these roles. The coverage for work-related psychological injuries—especially chronic stress—varies significantly.
A few jurisdictions, particularly those in Canada, use presumptive legislation (e.g., for post-traumatic stress injuries among first responders), but the scope differs.
Australian jurisdictions tend to have more consistent approaches to both the prevention and management of psychological conditions, compared to Canada, partly due to the national coordination of state and territorial agencies, the study found.
While the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada convenes discussions among compensation agencies, it does not have a role in the development of pan-Canadian codes of practice, which can be implemented across compensation agencies, the briefing suggested.
Many jurisdictions are shifting approaches to preventing psychological injuries including moving away from solutions focused on the individual (e.g., resilience training), towards an emphasis on organizational factors, such as job design, leadership, and workplace culture, the research shows.
In addition, in some Australian jurisdictions, there is an increased focus on organizational readiness, including management commitment and worker participation.
Workers’ compensation systems are recognizing that early intervention, treatment and coordination of care are key to recovery. However, nearly universally, the experts who participated in the study cited lengthy adjudication times, often as the result of long waits for access to medical assessments.
The findings highlight priorities for agencies and workers’ compensation systems including strengthening organizational-level prevention, improving access to early care, and expanding access to mental health supports, particularly during claim adjudication.
The study concluded that progress depends on shifting the focus toward organizational prevention, improving access to care, strengthening coordination, and building a stronger evidence base to guide decision-making about what works when and for whom.
OHS experts note that suicide and overdose rates among workers in the construction industry demonstrate a need to treat psychological safety with the same seriousness as physical safety.
To this end, Mississauga-based construction services company Ellis Don has partnered with Toronto’s mental health teaching hospital the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to establish a benchmark that outlines psychosocial factors such as work-life balance and promotes an understanding among trades people that it’s okay to not feel okay.