WorkSafeBC Home

Canadian Workplace Exposure Database

This project aimed to enhance the Canadian Workplace Exposure Database (CWED), a crucial resource for monitoring occupational exposure to harmful substances, to improve workplace safety and inform disease prevention. The CWED, initially developed in 2008 by CAREX Canada, contains exposure data across six jurisdictions. However, its potential was underutilized due to limited governance, data management protocols, and public access. The project focused on renewing governance through advisory committees, creating harmonized data management protocols, and improving data accessibility. Key outcomes included the establishment of a new governance structure, the development of data sharing agreements, and the implementation of standardized data management protocols. Harmonization of coding for exposure data was also a significant achievement. The long-term goal is to evolve CWED into a stand-alone entity that supports research, policy, and practice, and can be widely used for exposure assessment, epidemiology, and hazard prioritization. The project also emphasized knowledge translation through outreach and engagement with stakeholders.

Principal Applicant: Hugh Davies (University of British Columbia)
Co-Applicants: Cheryl Peters (Alberta Health Services and University of Calgary); Jerome Lavoue (Universite de Montreal); John Oudyk (Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers)
Funding Awarded: $50,000 (Specific Priorities/Systematic Reviews)

Competition Year: 2018 File type: PDF (386 KB) Asset type: Research Research: RS2018-SP39