The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) have collaborated to create Prevent Occupational Disease, an online repository of current and credible occupational disease resources.

The website, aimed at reducing illness and fatalities associated with occupational sources, is intended to help employers, supervisors, safety and health practitioners, and workers alike increase their understanding of occupational diseases and ways they may be prevented.

The resources provided relate to the science and mechanics of prevention; common hazards and their identification, exposure assessment and control; specific occupations and industries where the risk of developing occupational diseases is higher; and internationally recognized occupational diseases including cancer, respiratory and skin diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.

“Occupational disease is a serious and poorly understood issue in Canada,” said Valerie Wolfe, Regional ED, OHCOW & Chair, Ontario Occupational Disease Action Plan Implementation Team in a press release. “Incidence numbers are high. Impact is delayed, debilitating and frequently fatal. This website is a critical step in raising awareness of health risks in the workplace and, most importantly, provides evidence-based knowledge that can drive prevention.”

Prevent Occupational Disease will be continually updated with new content and welcomes relevant submissions of free, accessible, non-commercial resources from around the world through its online form.