IRSST - Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail

1987

Institute   >   Historical Overview   >   1981-1990   >   1987
April 25, 2024

1987: Dissemination of research results

If 1986 was the year of research on occupational safety and accident prevention, 1987 marked a turning point. The IRSST redirected its focus to results dissemination to ensure that a broader public was reached, by adopting the practice of issuing summaries of research publications and circulating abridged research reports.

Research priorities

The Board of Directors adopted the following research priorities for the upcoming years:

  • Elimination of the risks of industrial accidents
    • Material handling
    • Planning tasks, jobs and adapting work areas
    • Machines and tools likely to cause accidents
    • The impact of new technologies on worker safety
    • Collective and personal protective equipment
  • Elimination of health risks
    • Elimination of noise
    • Improvement of ambient air by modifying processes or ventilation.
Accreditations for the IRSST’s laboratories

The excellence and high calibre of the IRSST’s industrial hygiene laboratories were officially recognized by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), which awarded them an accreditation certificate, a distinction held by only 10 laboratories in Canada.

Alain Lajoie

Alain Lajoie, directeur des services et expertises de laboratoire, 1985 - 1995
Full Interview

Method for sampling isocyanates

The year’s most significant scientific breakthrough consisted of the development of a highly sensitive method for sampling des isocyanates, substances that can cause asthma in workers in paint shops and the transportation equipment manufacturing sector. A filter for capturing this small molecule was developed and a patent application filed.