WorkSafe Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board have unveiled a mobile research laboratory that will take injury-prevention science out of the lab and into actual workplaces across the province.
What the mobile lab will do
Announced Sept. 23 at the ISSA Mining Safety Conference in Saskatoon, the five-year initiative — named the Sask. Work mobile research lab — is being delivered in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance. The unit is a fully equipped, Saskatchewan-based vehicle that will travel to worksites to gather objective data about physical and environmental conditions linked to workplace injury and illness.
Researchers will use a mix of wearable technology, environmental monitors and observation tools to assess factors that can be difficult to reproduce in a traditional laboratory setting. The project intends to examine:
- physical demands, posture and movement;
- fatigue and cognitive workload;
- vibration, physiological strain, noise and temperature;
- other exposures and job factors that may contribute to injury or illness.
After assessments, participating employers will receive a customized report outlining job-specific findings, identified risk factors and evidence-informed recommendations for reducing risk.
Initial sectors and workers targeted
The initiative will initially focus on three sectors: construction, transportation and health care. Within those sectors, researchers will primarily work with tradespeople, labourers, truck drivers and health-care providers.
| Sector | Primary worker groups |
|---|---|
| Construction | Tradespeople, labourers |
| Transportation | Truck drivers |
| Health care | Health-care providers |
Because the mobile lab will operate in real working environments, the project team says it can capture the complexity of day-to-day tasks, equipment, environmental conditions and worker behaviours that influence injury risk.
Why provincial officials support it
"The Sask. Work initiative represents an important investment in workplace injury and illness prevention," said Minister Responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board Ken Cheveldayoff. "By collecting objective data in real working environments, we can help employers better understand workplace demands and identify practical opportunities to improve worker health and safety."
The initiative is positioned as a no-cost service for employers, allowing smaller operations or those with limited access to occupational-research resources to benefit from research-grade technology and expert analysis.
Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the Workers' Compensation Board, said the range of technology available on the mobile unit will permit measurement of many workplace conditions and exposures.
Practical implications for employers and workers
Employers who take part will receive a report tailored to specific job tasks and exposures that identifies potential interventions — from engineering changes and administrative controls to training adjustments — based on the collected data. That evidence can be used to inform workplace safety plans, injury-prevention programs and return-to-work strategies.
For workers, the research could mean better-informed controls around manual handling, fatigue management, exposure to vibration or noise, and other factors that commonly contribute to musculoskeletal injuries and occupational illnesses in the targeted sectors.
Scope and limits
The announcement sets the project length at five years and confirms the lab is based in Saskatoon but able to travel anywhere in the province. Beyond the targeted sectors, the project could inform prevention approaches for other industries over time — however, the initial focus will remain on construction, transportation and health care.
Details about how employers can request an assessment, selection criteria for participating worksites, and scheduling were not provided in the announcement. Employers interested in accessing the service will likely need to contact WorkSafe Saskatchewan or the Workers' Compensation Board for next steps.
The mobile research lab is one component of broader efforts to reduce workplace injury and illness in Saskatchewan by using objective data and applied research to shape practical solutions on the ground.
