Ergonomics

and the
Aging Workforce

Shifting Demographics
Workforce Demographics are Changing.
Are you Ready?
10,000 people are turning 65 every single day
and this will continue through 2030!1

25%

Baby Reasons for

Boomers 2020 2020 potponing
retirement

17% 18%
79% 25% 40% 9%
12%

By 2020, 25% of the By 2020, 25 million ■ Poor Economy (25%)

79% of Baby Boomers
workforce will be 55 Baby Boomers, about ■ Can’t afford to retire (18%)
say they don’t plan on
and older and 17% 40% of the U.S. labor ■ Healthcare Cost (12%)
fully retiring at age 65.
will be 65 and older2. force, will be exiting. ■ Higher Cost of Living (9%)

issues faced by older workers

increased challenging increased

discrimination workplace condition disparity in health
45-60

64% 58% 720,000

64% of workers say they have

seen or experienced age 1 in 4 people between 45 and 60 years
About 720,000 people in the U.S
discrimination in the workplace. of age provide active day-to-day
have heart attacks each
58% of adults believe age support to their parents. They are year. Most of these are 45 years of
discrimination begins among often confronted with inflexible work
age and over4.
workers in their 50s. hours3.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN AGING WORKFORCE

The aging workforce presents a challenge to industry—to design
a safe and productive work environment to accomodate older workers.

• Different shift preferences

psychosocial • Different training and learning styles
• Tend to experience disfranchisement
with their work and coworkers

• Decreased strength, flexibility, and balance

• Decreased vision and hearing
physical • Decreased reaction time and speed
• Decreased manual dexterity and feedback
• Increased body fat

• Decreased oxygen intake

physiological • Rising systemic blood pressure
• Faster onset of fatigue
• Greater susceptibility to extreme temperatures5

MSD FACTS MSD by Gender

Lost Time from MSD by Age Group6

59% 41%
50-70 127
was the AVERAGE
37-49 145
time away from
26-36 144
work due to an
16-25 109 MSD in 2013

MSD Cases by The financial cost of

Body Parts & Average Recovery Time Work-Related MSDs
Shoulder Back Abdomen Arm Wrist Leg Multiple
• 34% of lost workdays
• $20 billion a year on
direct costs
• $1 out of every $3 spent on
worker’s compensation
13% 42% 5% 5% 6% 11% 5%
21 days 7days 20 days 18 days 17 days 15 days 12 days

“Ergonomics
The characteristics is about fitting the work
of aging workers
often put them at a
to the worker”
higher risk of
developing MSD and
other injuries
IMPROVE WORKPLACE DESIGN
WITH ERGONOMICS

Solution?

5 ergonomics principles for an aging workforce

Following the 5 ergonomics principles will significantly

reduce ergonomic risk factors that contribute to
musculoskeletal injuries and disorders (MSDs).7

Work in Neutral Working with the body in a neutral position reduces

Postures stress and strain on your musculoskeletal system.

Working in the same posture or sitting for prolonged

Allow for periods of time is bad for you. Your body’s musculoskeletal
Posture Changes (or movement) system is designed to move. Arrange
workstations and tasks to allow for changing postures.

The power zone is also referred to as the “hand shake

Work from the
zone”—this is an easy way to remember the optimal
“Power Zone” location to perform work.

A common issue with older workers is lighting. Visual

Provide good acuity deteriorates with age, so make sure work areas
lighting are properly lit.

Providing “power grips” instead of pinch grips for jobs

Have
and tasks is another ergonomics “low hanging fruit” to
a good grip
help accommodate aging workers.

MOVING FORWARD

The gradual approach will not make

a large enough impact with current time constraints.

THERE IS AN URGENCY TO:

Transfer knowledge
and experience to
the next generation

Recruit and re-skill

aging workers and
retirees for new roles
and new fields Invest in ergonomics
workcenters & appropriate
training for aging workers

Increase retention
by closing skills gap
Combine strategies
(initiatives) to
maximize results

ACT NOW!

©2014 Workrite Ergonomics. All Rights Reserved.

For more information contact us at workriteergo.com or 800.959.9675

RESOURCES:
1. http://pewresearch.org/daily-number/baby-boomers-retire/
2. http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/01/art3full.pdf
3. Report of the Taskforce on the Aging of the American Workforce website.
http://www.aging.senate.gov/letters/agingworkforcetaskforcereport.pdf
4. http://newsroom.heart.org/news/heart-disease-and-stroke-continue-to-threaten-u-s-health
5. http://www.asse.org/professionalsafety/docs/F1Perry_0410.pdf
6. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh2.pdf
7. http://ergo-plus.com/ergonomics-aging-workforce-design/