Table 3 C-M-O summary - British Columbia, Canada

Context

Workplace health information tracking and evaluation system (WHITE) developed within a bipartite healthcare agency for all health sector sites in a wealthy province, but site-specific OH departments poorly resourced.

Labour relations volatile and unions relatively weak in this period.

With time, collaboration between system users (practitioners), management and system developers became weaker, with no systematic use by H&S committees.

Mechanism

Governance: Developed by a university researcher working with bipartite provincial agency, but no affiliation agreement between the agency and university partner; later the IS was transferred from the bipartite agency to employer-control, with no rights to access for researchers.

Technology: Customized web-based software developed, using proprietary database technology.

Outcome

Decrease in injury rates and time loss due to injuries demonstrated; information has not been able to be sustainably used to improve workforce health, or initiatives such as vaccination programs, nor foster ongoing research.

Conclusion

Useful to employers for ongoing claims management,

Limited use of data either to promote bipartite collaboration for reducing workplace hazards or to support programs that require OH staff in place, or for ongoing high quality research.

Web-based system made it useful across entire province, including multiple workplaces, but expensive to maintain.

“Tool” for employers and regulators;

“Weapon” to busy OH practitioners who are stretched to their limit with no time for data entry, and possibly to workers concerned that the greater ‘efficiency’ in absenteeism control and time-loss reduction could hurt vulnerable workers in a climate of weaker job security.