For example, skilled trades are the backbone of our economy, yet the individuals who build our homes, roads, hospitals, and infrastructure often face preventable risks every day. How can we prolong working lives of our workforce in critical sectors? What if safety solutions were designed for everyone, not just the “average” worker? And what if Canadian manufacturers had the data to make products that truly fit every Canadian?
These questions led us to create Multivariate Occupation-Specific Anthropometric (MOSAIC), the first-ever anthropometric database of its kind in the world. This isn’t just a dataset; it’s a game-changer. For decades, our design standards have relied on outdated or limited foreign data that doesn’t reflect the diversity of Canada’s workforce. Often the tools have been designed with a one-size-fits-all approach. But the workforce isn’t one-size-fits-all. Women in trades, workers from diverse backgrounds, and those with unique body types often struggle with ill-fitting gear. The result? Tools, equipment, and protective gear that fit poorly, compromise safety, limit productivity, and even discourage talented individuals from entering critical sectors such as trades.
Our team at CISWP is changing that narrative. By capturing real measurements and movement patterns from thousands of Canadian workers across industries, we’re giving manufacturers, designers, innovators, and engineers, the insights they need to design everything better, from PPE to machinery to consumer products. Imag-ine helmets that actually fit, workstations that reduce strain, and tools that feel like an extension of your hand. That’s the future MOSAIC enables. When products fit people, comfort improves, injuries decrease, and inclusion becomes reality.
To do this, we needed to re-think how research is conducted. We created two-state-of-the-art research labs, Skilled Trades Applied Research and Training (START) and Skilled Trades Research inInclusion, Diversity and Equity (STRIDE) labs, at the Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus, equipped with the most advanced technologies and wearable biometric sensors. In these innovative spaces, we engage tradespeople early in their careers to study real-world challenges. We didn’t stop there. Through our mobile labs, we take research directly into communities, reaching workers where they live and work. This approach allows us to capture authentic, on-the-job data, thereby the ecological validity of our research and ensures that our innovation is grounded in reality, not just theory.
This isn’t just about enhancing safety or productivity; it’s about empowerment. When manufacturers have access to accurate, inclusive data, they can innovate confidently, reduce waste, and create products that serve everyone. And because MOSAIC is Canadian-made, it reflects the unique diversity of our population, transforming product and workplace design for Canadian workers.
Innovation isn’t just about doing better today or doing more; it’s about challenging the status quo and imagining what’s possible tomorrow.
