Presentation Topic

Workshop Signals to Strategy: A Forward Look at Occupational Disease Risks in B.C.

Presentation Brief

Effective occupational disease prevention requires a clear view of risks that traditional claims data cannot capture. This session focuses on identifying both established and emerging occupational disease risks including underrecognized, evolving, and systemically driven risks that may shape the next generation of occupational disease in B.C.. The goal is to create a forward-looking narrative that highlights short- and long-term work-related risk exposures and guides future prevention efforts.

Core Aims

• Identify current, emerging, and under-served occupational disease risks not yet visible in surveillance or claims data.

• Analyze systemic, regulatory, and resource drivers that influence how these risks develop and persist.

• Identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen tools, regulations, research, technology, and partnerships; and their practicality to enable earlier intervention.

• Inform WorkSafeBC’s provincial occupational disease strategy by grounding decisions in forward-looking intelligence as well as historical evidence.

Biography

Michael Jonasson is an Industrial Risk Specialist in Prevention Risk Management Services at WorkSafeBC. He works within a team of safety professionals, data scientists, and evaluation analysts to develop products and strategies to manage and reduce workplace risks. Michael’s previous industrial hygiene experience includes working in the oil & gas and mining sectors, with experience as an Inspector of Mines in Occupational Health for the BC Public Service. He obtained his MSc. in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene from the University of British Columbia and his BSc. in Biochemistry from the University of Winnipeg. Michael is accredited as a Registered Occupational Hygienist.