Workplace Methodology
Workplaces are complicated places, and in order to research health interventions in workplaces, you need a number of different methodologies.


Workplace health intervention research (WHIR)
MSDs are a large problem in workplaces, incurring high costs and individual suffering and prevention research for this area is still strongly needed. This kind of research can sometimes be conducted through randomizing workplaces for different interventions, questionnaires, or collecting administrative data. But in order to gain a deeper understanding of the context, and to evaluation a company’s processes of change and outcomes, the successes and failures, and the effect on a range of indicators from lagging to leading, it is often necessary for researchers to engage in a more intensive, sustained relationship with workplaces.

Workplace health intervention research (WHIR) is research that engages workplace in sustained, interactive engagement, and CRE-MSD specializes in this methodology.

WHIR is research that is done on site, within a workplace or a small number of workplaces, where both outcomes and processes are of interest. Research is done in unionized or non-unionized companies, in larger or very small companies with perhaps only three or four employees. The unit of analysis can be individuals, workgroups, departments, companies, or sectors such as transportation or construction. Timeliness is of the essence and responsiveness to the exigencies of change is a major issue. Researchers have little control over the environment in which they are engaged.

Partners
The research may include carrying out measurement evaluations, or recommending interventions based on best current practices. The researchers can be the interveners as well as the evaluators, but most often the intervention is done by external consultants (such as consultants from the Health and Safety Associations), with the cooperation and help of internal HR staff and members of the joint health and safety committee (JHSC), and the researchers have the role as evaluators. In these situations, there is an exchange of data between the researchers, the consultants, and the company.

RecruitmentIn order to understand the workplace processes and outcomes, we need to talk to people in particular roles who have particular expertise. Management will usually choose who they think fit the criteria, and interviews will usually take place on site. This is also true of any intervention that is part of the research: management dictates what, where and how a person does their job and hence can dictate any change to that job recommended by the researchers. It is also applicable with surveys and focus groups; a blanket distribution of surveys throughout the company or chosen departments usually will need management’s permission and knowledg. The union or employee representatives will be responsible for handling and collecting surveys.

Methods
This intensive engagement includes a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods, including observation, conducting surveys, interviews or focus groups. It also includes taking individual biomechanical measures, or determining the characteristics of a workstation (forces, dimensions or postures) through taking photos or videotapes. Often it is not possible to predict what method will be needed in advance.

Analysis
Data is aggregated into groups no smaller than five, and raw data is not shared with the workplace parties. Individuals are not identified by their quotations; quotes are typically identified as coming from labour or management.

Feedback
Feedback to the companies typically takes the form of a report to the JHSC and not to individuals.