$6M committed to workplace cancer research
The provincial government has announced an investment of more than $6 million to support research into workplace cancers.
The province announced the funding on November 26. The money will help scientists at the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) identify and track occurrences of workplace cancer and exposure to harmful substances, research the causes of workplace cancers, and help improve the recognition of occupational illnesses in the province.
“Every workplace injury, illness, or fatality is preventable. While Ontario has one of the best health and safety records in the country, we are continuously striving to better protect our workers,” said Labour, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton. “We’re proud to fund the Occupational Cancer Research Centre’s research in this critical area, which will support our mission to ensure every worker in Ontario comes home safe after a hard day’s work.”
The government’s increase in funding for the OCRC will significantly expand their research to ensure Ontario has the best available data and evidence when developing prevention and exposure-reduction strategies to improve workers’ health and safety. This data will also help the WSIB in its efforts to support injured workers and families impacted by work-related cancers and diseases.
“I want to thank Minister McNaughton for the substantial funding announced today, which will give us the funding we need to improve identification, tracking, and prevention of occupational illnesses in Ontario,” said OCRC director Dr. Paul Demers. “This investment also gives us the resources to attract promising new researchers to this critical area and advance our understanding of occupational cancer risks and prevention strategies.”
According to the Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada, Ontario’s occupational health and safety record is among the best in Canada. The province has achieved the lowest rate of work time lost to injury among any province or territory since 2009.
The funding announcement builds on the government’s work to protect workers from workplace injuries and illness through the five-year Prevention Works strategy. The strategy aims to help workplaces comply with and exceed workplace health and safety laws and standards to keep workers safe, focusing on occupational illnesses, employee mental health, workplace violence, and harassment.