The World Health Organization (WHO), via the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has again designated the IRSST’s Scientific Division as one of its collaborating centres. Renewable every four years, this status was granted to the Institute for the first time in March 2013. Since then, it has provided the WHO with strategic support in fulfilling its mandate and helped it ensure the scientific validity of global health work.  

As a WHO collaborating centre, the IRSST will assist the PAHO and WHO by carrying out seven different types of activities involving:

• the characterization of occupational exposure to chemical and carcinogenic substances and identification of best practices for controlling to chemical and carcinogenic substances;   
• the advancement of knowledge related to climate change and its impact on occupational health and safety from a sustainable development perspective, and to the risks associated with  green jobs;
• the assessment of the economic burden associated with occupational injuries.