To conduct interdisciplinary analyses on work-related injury prevention and compensation regimes under occupational health and safety legislation.

To inform policy makers responsible for implementing policies and legislation to improve health and protection of workers.

Work-related injuries and diseases are a source of many of the health problems faced by workers, and finding solutions is a major concern in all industrialized countries. The purpose of occupational health and safety legislation is to prevent work-related injuries and diseases and provide remedies for conditions and problems resulting from them.

The Chairholder Katherine Lippel’s research program explores the relationship between the law (domestic and comparative), including soft law (legislation, regulations, directives, case law, policy and industry standards) and occupational health and safety. The main objective of the program of research is to examine the effects of these legal frameworks on the prevention and compensation of work related injury with a view to defining policy changes that can reduce injury and provide just compensation. The key areas of research include: (1) examining the effects of law dealing with compensation of workplace injuries, (2) examining the effects of law relating to the prevention of workplace injuries, (3) examining the role of law in the production or prevention of disability in injured workers. The main goal of the program is to study the various legal frameworks in the area of occupational health and safety with a view to describing how relevant public policy is implemented, maximizing its positive impacts and minimizing the adverse ones.