In recent years, the issue of the aging workforce in the U.S. has been a staple education session at safety and health meetings. So too this week at ASSE’s Safety 2013, which featured a session on, “So You’re Retired? Not So Fast - Attacking Injuries of an Aging Workforce.”
According to a recent AARP study, 70 percent of workers report they plan to work past retirement or never retire. Clearly, this trend presents safety issues: slower cognitive speed and decision making, decreased strength and agility, and slower recovery time. Solutions can include workstation design and task assignments that consider the effects of age.