An occupational illness is a health condition or disorder that is caused by the work environment or related activities. They can be disruptive, disabling and sometimes fatal. Examples range from hearing loss to asthma, infections and some cancers. We encourage you to explore the many topics below as well as the services and resources we offer related to each.
OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS
A CHALLENGING and COMPLEX PROBLEM
Occupational illness and its prevention requires engagement and action at all levels of the Prevention System and beyond – from communities, families, workers, managers, safety reps, owners, safety professionals, health care providers and regulators.
Key topics under Occupational Disease include the following:
ILLNESSES
ILLNESSES
From cancers to heart disease to respiratory issues,
illness of many types can be related to our work.
It is important to know the hazards of your job,
and take whatever precautions are required to work safely
and stay healthy on the job.
EXPOSURES
EXPOSURES
Exposure to asbestos, allergens and irritants, diesel exhausts, noise, heat/cold, and silica can all cause adverse health effects if not controlled properly. It is important to know exactly what you are exposed to in your work and what the potential outcomes of those exposures are.
PREVENTION
PREVENTION
Recognizing and preventing work-related illness continues to present significant challenges, and requires different (and sometimes unique) approaches from those that target injuries – although, at the core, the elimination or reduction of hazardous exposures and the control of risks are fundamental.
ILLNESSES
EXPOSURES
PREVENTION
Three Occupational Illness Webinar Series to Serve You
OCC-TOBER & BEYOND
An Annual Webinar Series Sharing Information on Occupational Health and Illness/Disease Prevention
OCC-COVID
An ongoing series of webinars that present the current COVID situation
and provide guidance and direction for dealing with it in our workplaces and public settings
OCC-DISEASE PREVENTION
An Annual Webinar Series providing the latest research and workplace knowledge to help those impacted now, and prevent such harm in the future
COVID-19
COVID-19 is not showing any signs of letting up soon. As long as it is amongst us, we will continue to provide you with the latest information available. In our COVID section you will find a number of recorded webinars; fact sheets; position papers; recommendations and tools to assist workers and workplaces in navigating the unique challenges that COVID-19 presents. Don’t forget to check back regularly, we will continue to update our resources as new research and updated work-related information becomes available.
ILLNESSES
From cancers to heart disease to respiratory issues, illness of many types can be related to our work.
It is important to know the hazards of your job, and take whatever precautions are required to work safely and stay healthy on the job.
EXPOSURES
Exposure to asbestos, allergens and irritants, diesel exhausts, noise, heat/cold, and silica can all cause adverse health effects if not controlled properly.
It is important to know exactly what you are exposed to in your work and what the potential outcomes of those exposures are.
PREVENTION
Recognizing and preventing work-related disease continues to present significant challenges, and requires different (and sometimes unique) approaches from those that target injuries – although, at the core, the elimination or reduction of hazardous exposures and the control of risks are fundamental. Occupational diseases are frequently not recognized as being related to workplace exposures, particularly because, for many diseases, the exposure which contributed to their development occurred many years ago.
INDUSTRIES / SECTORS
Note: This section is currently under construction. We thank you for you patience while we work on it's development.
Different industries / sectors have different health and safety issues to deal with. Below are the major industries along with resources provided to help deal with the issues.
ONTARIO'S OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE ACTION PLAN (ODAP)
The current ODAP was developed in late 2016 to focus the Prevention System and other key Stakeholder energies and efforts on Occupational Disease prevention.
Updates to the Plan are in the works and will be posted here as soon as they become available.
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE CLUSTER INVESTIGATIONS
Occupational Disease Cluster Investigations (ODCI) are opened at the request of individuals, worker organizations, and/or community groups who suspect that health conditions that a group of workers have in common were caused by exposure in their shared workplace or industry. LEARN MORE >
The following ODCI are currently on-going:
Rubber Workers Cluster Project
NEW! Neelon Castings Cluster Project
McIntrye Powder Cluster Project
GE Peterborough Cluster Project
Ventra/Pebra Plastics Cluster Project
Dryden Weyerhaeuser Recovery Boiler #4 Project
Use the arrows or buttons above to move through the project blocks manually.
PREVENT OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE
A portal of resources built and maintained by OHCOW and CCOHS.
PREVENTION
TODAY
HEALTH
TOMORROW
SUBMISSIONS
OHCOW’s mission includes a goal to protect workers and their communities from occupational diseases, injuries, and illnesses.
As part of this mission, OHCOW encourages health-based and evidence-based occupational exposure limits (OELs) for chemicals, and equivalent sound exposure level criteria for noise exposure.
OHCOW has produced submissions for Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), and its predecessor ministries (MLTSD, MOL), to address evidence-based limits for Ontario regulations.
OHCOW SERVICES
OHCOW offers a variety of services that you or your workplace can utilize
in dealing with work-related injuries or illnesses.
From an information/inquiry service to medical diagnostic services, and education and outreach programs
to group services and research services we are here to help in any way we can.
We also offer advocate, health professional, self, and joint health and safety representative and committee referrals.
IN YOUR WORDS
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I was treated like a human being and not like a statistic by all levels of staff - from administration to the nurse to the doctor. Thank you so very much for your support.
Anonymous
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Despite my lack of language proficiency, your office made the necessary effort to understand me and made me comfortable to express my issues at ease.
Anonymous
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I received professional service. the staff is very friendly and considerate. They talked in a way I understood even though my English is very limited.
Anonymous
