Occupational Safety and Health: Meet Dr. Arjun Kathayat
Dr. Arjun Kathayat is the Founder and President of the International Research Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IRIOSH), a global non-profit research institute dedicated to advancing evidence-based workplace health, safety research, and well-being. Based in Saskatchewan, Canada, he also serves in a senior leadership role with Integrity Maintenance Ltd., where he contributes to industrial safety, environmental compliance, and operational governance across the province’s energy and resource sectors.
Dr. Kathayat’s academic work spans international OSH policy, comparative governance, and organizational safety performance. In collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), he has authored several influential peer-reviewed studies, including a comparative analysis of OSH policy styles between North America and Southeast Asia, published in Frontiers in Public Health. His ongoing UPM-affiliated research includes a cross-regional trend analysis of OSH inspector-to-worker ratios, a critical benchmark for achieving decent workplace conditions under global labor standards. He has also contributed to U.S.-based organizational safety research through his study, Leadership Style as a Predictor of Employee Safety Performance in the Oil and Gas Industry, which highlights the role of supervisory behavior in shaping frontline safety outcomes.
Dr. Kathayat is an active contributor to national and international scientific communities. He presented his research at the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan (2025), where he discussed OSH governance and cross-sector risk management. He was subsequently invited to present at the CCGA Conference in Halifax (2026), expanding on comparative OSH policy frameworks and their implications for Canadian safety systems. In 2026, he also served as a peer reviewer for 25 scientific abstracts submitted to the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) World Congress in Munich, Germany, contributing to global evaluation of emerging research in environmental and occupational health.
In recognition of his expertise, Dr. Kathayat serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Business at Columbia Southern University (USA), where he provides strategic guidance on academic program development, industry relevance, and emerging trends in occupational safety, leadership, and organizational governance.
Through IRIOSH, Dr. Kathayat continues to champion multidisciplinary research, global collaboration, and the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). His work is driven by a core belief that safe and dignified work is a universal human right, and that scientific integrity, equity, and prevention-focused strategies are essential to protecting workers worldwide.
Leadership Philosophy
Dr. Kathayat leads IRIOSH with a commitment to:
- Scientific integrity and research excellence
- Independence and objectivity
- Inclusivity and global engagement
- Translating knowledge into meaningful impact
Under his leadership, IRIOSH aims to evolve into a globally recognized research institution contributing to safer workplaces and stronger public health systems worldwide.
