If you didn’t have a chance to attend today's session, Implications of the Aging Workforce at Safety 2012, ASSE provided a live webcast. The session recording will also be available after the conference. Presented by Nan Austin, National OHS Manager for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service in Melbourne, Australia, this session discussed workplace implications for older workers.
In addition to reduced mobility, dexterity, balance, hearing and vision, older workers generally process information more slowly and experience delayed reaction times, compared to their younger counterparts.
But while these physical realities may result in increased risk of disease and injury, mature workers also bring positive aspects to the workplace, including higher retention and lower absences, greater reliability and commitment to their work. Mature workers are also more likely to be good mentors.
Using several case studies, Austin discussed interventions. Given that aging is an individual process, she said, a centralized intervention program is not feasible. She recommended assessing workers individually for their work ability. Determine the nature of the injury as early as possible, provide immediate primary injury management, investigate the cause, implement controls to prevent further injury, identify individual needs and adjust the work assignments accordingly.
With hundreds of sessions to choose from at Safety 2012, you'll want to check out the other recorded sessions so you can get the most from your conference experience!