A research service to investigate and report on illnesses and injuries.

OHCOW has been involved in research studies on several different topics. We collect statistics on different diseases and on the substances workers are exposed to that may cause these diseases. We will use our extensive library and search for the latest scientific literature on your question. We will use this information to write a report that compares your workplace situation to that of other workers we have studied.

OHCOW now has a Cluster Registry of Occupational Disease and Reproductive Hazards. A cluster is a group of health events (for example, cancer cases, miscarriages) which take place

>> at the same workplace or
>> among workers doing the same job or
>> among workers exposed to similar hazards

The registry is a computerized list of clusters reported to OHCOW that have happened in different places and among different groups of workers. The registry will allow OHCOW with its clinics across the province to collect and store this information. If we know about small clusters of disease, we can see where we should do more research and where we can suggest changes to the workplace. This can eliminate hazards and save lives.

Example of Research Services that OHCOW has provided:

Lifetime Histories Breast Cancer Research Study 

A research team in Windsor, Ontario led by Dr. Jim Brophy (Executive Director of OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton) and Dr. Margaret Keith (Occupational Health Research Coordinator, OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton) is conducting a study to explore potential breast cancer risk factors.  This three-year project, begun in 2003, will ultimately involve 1,000 female breast cancer patients and 1,000 female community controls. Kathy Mayville, from OHCOW Windsor, is the project office coordinator.  She and trained research assistants administer a detailed questionnaire by interview.  Along with data regarding known and suspected breast cancer risk factors, a full occupational and exposure history is gathered for evaluation by a professional exposure assessment panel. The Lifetime Histories Breast Cancer Research Study is sponsored by the OHCOW, hosted by the University of Windsor, and conducted with the cooperation of the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre (WRCC) and Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH).  The research is funded by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, Green Shield Foundation, and private donations. The long-term goal of the research is to better understand the causes of breast cancer in order to develop effective prevention strategies to decrease risk.   

This study builds on two previous studies undertaken with support from OHCOW. Computerized Recording of Occupations Made Easy (CROME), which was initiated in 1995, produced findings of an elevated risk for breast cancer among women who had ever farmed, particularly among those aged 55 and under. The second study, funded by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Research Advisory Council (WSIB RAC) in 1998, produced findings indicating that women who ever farmed have almost a doubling of breast cancer risk and those who ever farmed and then worked in auto-related industry had a further elevated risk.