Saskatchewan Launches Mobile Research Lab to Enhance Workplace Safety

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WorkSafe Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board unveil a mobile research lab aimed at improving workplace safety and injury prevention across various sectors, starting with construction, transportation, and healthcare.

In a significant step towards improving workplace safety, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance (CISWP), has announced the launch of the Sask. Work mobile research lab. This initiative is set to enhance understanding of workplace demands, exposures, and injury risk factors for employers across the province.
The Sask. Work mobile research lab is designed as a fully equipped research unit that can travel throughout Saskatchewan, bringing advanced assessment technology directly to the workplaces. This innovative approach is expected to yield insights that traditional laboratory settings cannot replicate, as it allows researchers to collect data in the real-world environments where work takes place.
Operating from its base in Saskatoon, the mobile lab will enable researchers to gather critical data on various workplace factors. According to Kevin Mooney, the vice-president of prevention and employer services at WCB, the lab will utilize wearable technology, sensors, observation tools, and environmental monitoring equipment to measure a wide range of conditions. These include physical demands, fatigue, posture and movement patterns, vibration exposure, cognitive workload, physiological strain, noise levels, temperature, and other relevant workplace exposures.
This five-year project is particularly focused on employers in the construction, transportation, and healthcare sectors, with an emphasis on tradespeople, laborers, truck drivers, and healthcare providers. The aim is to provide participating employers with customized reports that include job-specific findings, identified risk factors, and evidence-informed recommendations tailored to enhance workplace safety.
Importantly, the research conducted through the mobile lab will be strictly for research and prevention purposes. It will not be connected to any regulatory inspections, compliance activities, or enforcement actions. Worker participation in this research initiative is entirely voluntary, and privacy protections are a core component of the program, ensuring that individual worker data is anonymized and never disclosed to employers.
Employers interested in taking part in this initiative can reach out to their WorkSafe contact to complete an intake form for the Sask. Work project. For further inquiries, they can contact the mobile research lab team via email at [email protected]. This initiative marks a proactive approach to workplace safety, leveraging advanced technology to address and mitigate risks in real-time environments.

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