News

The following posts highlight newsworthy items from OHCOW.

View the full post by clicking on the post title.

Apr 12 2023
Dec 09 2022

Miners Harmed by McIntyre Powder get Official Apology

Former mine workers who were made ill from their exposure to McIntyre Powder have received an apology from Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton. Thanks in large part to the spearheading of the McIntyre Powder Project by activist Janice Martell and her partnerships with OHCOW and others, the substance has been identified as having caused respiratory illness,…
Aug 30 2022

McIntyre Powder and Its Potential Contributions to Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Literature Review Through the McIntyre Powder Historical Lens

OHCOW Researchers Make Valuable Contributions to Study of Occupational Illness Caused by McIntyre Powder McIntyre Powder (MP) was administered to miners for decades in Ontario mines in the belief that it prevented silicosis. OHCOW researchers have helped determine the harmful and life-long damage to miners’ health caused by preventable…
Aug 24 2022

Annual Report 2021-2022

The 2021-22 OHCOW Annual Report is now available online, filled with important events, presentations, additional resources and case studies from the past year.
May 05 2022
Apr 14 2022
Feb 02 2022

Key Findings and Recommendations from Study of Coroner’s Files of Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Deaths in Ontario from January 2020 to June 2021

OHCOW contributes to important Coroner’s File Review Report highlighting numerous gaps in the protection of Migrant Agricultural Workers throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. This project was lead by Dr. C. Susana Caxaj, RN, PhD*, and conducted by members of the Migrant Farm Worker Health Expert Working Group which includes OHCOW staff .…
Nov 22 2021

Ontario Contractors Embark on Silica Tool Pilot Project

[Daily Commercial News] Sixty contractors in Ontario are taking part in a 12-month pilot testing the merits of a digital tool developed to quickly prepare control plans to mitigate the potential health risks of overexposure to crystalline silica. The proprietary software tool evaluates the conditions of a construction site and provides…
Aug 23 2021
Aug 10 2021
Apr 21 2021
Jan 12 2021

COVID-19: Airborne Transmission

Trusted Sources and External Milestones NEW! January 12, 2021 - Public Health Agency of Canada Guidance on Indoor Ventilation During the Pandemic January 4, 2021 - Open Letter, Time for government to take aerosol transmission of COVID-19 seriously December 30, 2020 - Public Health Agency of Canada, Evidence Brief on SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Transmission. November 4,…
Dec 15 2020

Toronto Star’s Sara Mojtehedz on Recent OHCOW and IWH study

Read about our study with Institute For Work and Health on workers' experience during the pandemic in the Toronto Star article, Unsafe workplaces during COVID-19 taking huge toll on workers’ mental health. .Pandemic Experience and Impact The study was conducted jointly by John Oudyk (Occupational Hygienist, OHCOW) and Peter Smith…
Oct 05 2020

OHCOW Contributes to National Dialogue on COVID-19 Science and Healthcare Worker Protection

OHCOW hygienists John Oudyk and Kevin Hedges participated in a national Best Brains Exchange about transmission science and worker protection hosted by federal health and research agencies last week. View John’s powerful October 1st presentation comparing practices and cases in Canada vs China, recognizing the differing (and entrenched) scientific perspectives, but…
Sep 25 2020

Regional Risk Tool / Tips and Workplace Risk Management Matrix

Providing Colour-Coded COVID-19 Prevention Advice Regional Risk Tool/Tips View the rolling 14-day average of COVID-19 cases in each Public Health region in Ontario (from data published weekdays) against a backdrop of 5 coloured risk levels, plus a current At a Glance chart, then follow the coordinated tips for Communicating, Cleaning, Handwashing, Ventilating, Distancing, Screening, and Masking to protect your…
Apr 28 2020
Apr 28 2020

Day of Mourning 2020

Day of Mourning 2020 Every April 28th we pause to honour the memory of workers who have lost their lives on the job, to think of the many thousands injured or made ill by workplace conditions, and to consider the impact on their families and our communities. The National Day…
Aug 23 2018

StressAssess – Finalist in Worldwide Adobe Government Creativity Awards

StressAssess, OHCOW’s new Workplace Psychosocial Survey Tool which was developed in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), has been selected as a finalist in the worldwide Adobe Government Creativity Awards. This is an international competition garnering 488 submissions, and it is a fantastic achievement to…