What IRSST does

IRSST (Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail) is a non-profit scientific research organization established in 1980 in Montréal, Québec, and registered as a charity since 1982. It is Quebec's primary research institute dedicated exclusively to occupational health and safety (OHS), operating under a paritarian governance model with equal employer and worker representation on its Board of Directors, as mandated by Quebec's Act respecting occupational health and safety (AOHS) and the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (AIAOD). The institute employs approximately 150 individuals, including more than 80 expert researchers and technicians spanning disciplines such as ergonomics, industrial hygiene, chemistry, physics, biology, microbiology, engineering, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and economics. Its work is organized around four pillars: internal and funded external research, laboratory services, knowledge dissemination, and graduate training.

IRSST's product portfolio consists of three platforms — ObservatoireSST (interactive statistical indicators for Quebec OHS), PhareSST (institutional repository of publications and laboratory methods), and Cliclab (online portal for laboratory service registration and instrument loan/calibration) — alongside specialized laboratory services (mask efficacy evaluation, slip resistance testing for protective footwear, air contaminant analysis, CQ Fibres and CQ Vrac quality programs, instrument loan/calibration/repair), a research publication and documentation center, and a portfolio of research grants and graduate scholarships delivered in partnership with leading Quebec universities (McGill, Concordia, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, Laval, Sherbrooke, UQTR, and École de technologie supérieure). The institute is operationally active, with 2026 board nominations and scientific council renewals, and demonstrates compliance with WCAG accessibility and Quebec P-38.0001 privacy frameworks.

IRSST does not earn commercial revenue in the conventional sense. Its primary funding stream comes from CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail), sourced from assessments paid by Quebec employers and governed by Quebec's OHS legislation. The institute operates with a stable, regionally mandated service model: publications are made available free of charge for non-commercial educational use, while laboratory services are provided to clients who procure them, and research grants/scholarships are awarded competitively. Geographic scope is single-country (Québec, Canada), with no disclosed commercial expansion beyond the province.

Name

IRSST

Legal name

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

Website

https://irsst.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IRSST is a Quebec-based non-profit scientific research institute founded in 1980 that conducts occupational health and safety research, laboratory testing, and knowledge dissemination to prevent workplace injuries and diseases, primarily funded by CNESST.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Occupational Health and Safety Research

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Occupational Health & Employer Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Site Assessment & Remediation (Phase I/II, Cleanup Oversight) (BPAHAJAC)

Keywords

• Occupational health research
• Workplace safety analysis
• Industrial hygiene testing
• Occupational disease prevention
• Laboratory testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding via CNESST: Primary funding comes from the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), which provides most of the Institute's funding directly from assessments paid by employers. IRSST is a non-profit organization registered as a charity since 1982.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IRSST conducts and funds scientific research on occupational health and safety (OHS), operating specialized laboratories that deliver testing services such as mask efficacy evaluation, slip resistance testing, and air contaminant analysis. It disseminates knowledge through research publications, the ObservatoireSST statistical platform, the PhareSST repository, the Cliclab laboratory portal, and the infoIRSST newsletter, while also awarding research grants and scholarships to graduate students.

Product overview

IRSST operates as a research institute offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services focused on occupational health and safety (OHS) in Quebec. The core offerings include the ObservatoireSST platform for statistical data visualization, PhareSST institutional repository for publications, and Cliclab portal for laboratory services. Laboratory Services provide mask efficacy testing, slip resistance testing, and air contaminant analysis. The organization also offers Research Grants and Scholarships for OHS research funding, along with Publications, Scientific Watch, and Documentation Center services. The infoIRSST newsletter disseminates research updates. This is a service-oriented portfolio rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ObservatoireSST Interactive statistical indicators platform providing data visualization on occupational health and safety trends, workplace accidents, and statistical sources in Quebec.
• PhareSST Institutional Repository

Quantifiable outcome

• Research contributes to eliminating hazards at source and enabling sustainable return to work for injured workers

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail)coreOthers · 1 January 1980CNESST provides most of the institute's funding directly from assessments paid by employers. The CNESST relationship is fundamental to IRSST's operations, established through Quebec's occupational health and safety legislation. IRSST's research aligns closely with CNESST's needs and those of Quebec workplaces.
• Quebec UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980IRSST maintains research partnerships with multiple Quebec universities including École de technologie supérieure, Polytechnique Montréal, Concordia University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Université Laval, and McGill University. IRSST researchers supervise graduate students and coach undergraduate interns, postdoctoral researchers, and associate professors at these institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Canada's federal OHS information and training body, operating as a non-profit with a similar public-good mandate focused on workplace health and safety. Directly comparable to IRSST in mission, though federal rather than Quebec in scope.
• Institute for Work & Health (IWH): Ontario-based independent OHS research organization conducting research on work-related injury and illness prevention and rehabilitation. Highly comparable to IRSST in mission, funding structure (WSIB-linked), and research portfolio.
• INRS (Institut national de recherche et de sécurité): France's national OHS research institute, providing prevention services, training, and laboratory testing for workplaces. Direct international peer with the same tripartite funding logic and comparable lab services such as PPE evaluation.
• IFA (Institut für Arbeitsschutz): Germany's statutory accident insurance research institute for occupational safety and health, conducting testing and applied research. Closely comparable in laboratory capabilities (e.g., PPE testing, exposure assessment) and preventive-research mandate.

Broad incumbents

• NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health): U.S. federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. Far larger than IRSST but the closest U.S. analogue in scope and authority.
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE): U.K. regulator for workplace health and safety with an embedded science and research function. Comparable as an established OHS authority that combines regulation, research, and laboratory services.

Others

• CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research): Canada's federal health research funding agency. Comparable only in the sense of operating as a public-good health research entity in Canada; not a competitor for OHS lab services.
• NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada): Canadian federal agency funding university-based natural sciences and engineering research. Relevant as a parallel public research-funding ecosystem, not as a direct OHS service competitor.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with occupational health and PPE testing capabilities. Indirectly comparable as a commercial alternative for the same employer testing services IRSST provides.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification firm offering occupational hygiene, contaminant, and PPE testing services. Adjacent competitor in the commercial OHS testing market where IRSST also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IRSST
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRSSTQC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irsst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IRSST