Older Workers, Newer Thinking:
Trends and Strategies
2011 Governor’s Occupational Safety and
Health Conference
October 2011
Pam (Ferrante) Walaski, CSP, CHMM
President
JC Safety & Environmental, Inc.
Pittsburgh, PA
www.jcsafety.com
Where Do You Fit In?
“Conceptions of “who is old” vary greatly
across historical periods, and by industrial
sector. We found that in the IT sector that
workers are considered old if they have
children. Ballet dancers and professional
athletes may be considered old in their
twenties or thirties, airline pilots in their
fifties, and Supreme Court Justices in their
eighties.”
Victor Marshall, University of North Carolina
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Where Do You Fit In?
 The American Age
Discrimination Act
uses 40 as an
eligibility marker.
 WHO and the National
Advisory Council on
Aging uses age 45.
 You can join the AARP
at age 50.
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The Aging US Workforce
United States Workforce Aged 55+
16.2% of workforce in 2005
19.1% in 2012
23% by 2050.
Between 1997-2007,
employment of workers
65+ increased 101%
(59% for employment of
all ages)
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The Aging US Workforce
 55+ age group only one
with an increase in labor
participation rates since
the late 1980s
 30.3% - 1996
 38% - 2006
 40% of AARP members
plan to work past 65 (or
are already)
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The Aging US Workforce
We used to encourage
retirement as a means
to make room for the
Baby Boomers – now
we need to encourage
the Baby Boomers to
keep working because
we don’t have enough
people to replace them.
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The Aging US Workforce
Recent surveys indicate that 45% of HR
professionals in private businesses feel
that their workplaces are “just becoming
aware” of issues related to the potential
labor force shortages due to the
retirement of Baby Boomers.
SHRM Survey
2005
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The Aging US Workforce
With retirement funds
devastated, the “about to
retire” population must
revise their plans and
continue working.
 The “lost decade” (2000-2010)
 Those who had no retirement
funds are in even worse
shape.
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The Aging US Workforce
The result:
Increase in older
workers that are
working because
they have to despite their health
or injury status.
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Older Workers =
Questions from the Field
 Are creating a “special class” of workers?
 Are we setting older workers up for
inadvertent discrimination?
 Will older workers reject our efforts? Do
they even “want” help?
 Have they learned ways to address the
issue on their own?
 Are we seeing the result of years of EH&S
programs that meet minimal benchmarks?
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Aging is Normal
 Need clarity that the changes we see are
“normal” and affect us all.
 Strategies/targeted initiatives benefit to all
workers - none should cause harm/create
more hazards for non-aging workers.
 Efforts should invoke the traditional
approach of anticipation, recognition,
evaluation and control.
 Responding to a hazard/incident pattern as we
would to any other.
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Aging is Normal
Good Judgment
Ability to adapt
Long relationships with
employer
Years of experience
System intelligence
Ability to plan for the
future
Experienced in making decisions
Sentient knowledge
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Visual Changes
 Loss of elasticity of lens
or lens yellows;
more light required to
see.
 Lens hardens, ciliary
muscles get weaker eyes can’t change shape
to focus as well or as
quickly.
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Visual Changes
 Additional light needed
to see creates more
glare.
 Harder to recover from
glare.
 Nighttime legibility
distances for a 60 year
old is 2/3s that of a 25
year old.
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Visual Changes
 Dynamic acuity
(ability to see moving
targets) reduced  Contrast sensitivity
reduced
 Phototrophic acuity
decreased (light to
dark transitions)
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Visual Changes
 “Near point” gets
further away - the
closest an object can
be and still in focus
(presbyopia)


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Age 20 = 4”
Age 40 = 8.5”
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Visual Changes
Higher rates of
visual diseases
such as
macular
degeneration,
glaucoma and
cataracts
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Visual Changes
Color vision deficiency – the ability to
perceive cooler colors (blues and
greens) is reduced.
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Visual Changes
Increased risk of
Computer Vision
Syndrome eyestrain, blurred
distance or near
vision,
headaches,
dry/red eyes, and
double vision
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
Raise the level of illumination
 Indirect ambient light (40-50 footcandles)
 Variety of table and desk lamps
 Task lighting
 Additional overhead lighting
 Soft white lights that limit glare
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
Provide consistent, even light levels
and gradual changes in light levels




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Avoid pools of light – tripping
hazard
Uneven patterns produce shadows
Transitions between outside/inside
Use dimmers as often as possible
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
Eliminate glare




Minimizes falls
Increases
attention span
Use focused task
lighting
Provide safety
glasses with UV
protection
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Environmental, Inc.
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
Color and contrast
High contrast enhances visual function
 Light entryways and walls/dark doorjambs and
thresholds
 Edge of contrasting color on desk or edge of
workstation countertop
 Desktops and countertops should stand out
from floor.
Critical machine parts – bright or
contrasting colors
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
Improve visibility of stairs




Most common place for falls,
especially first/last step.
Traction tape or glow-in-the
dark tape
Contrast step colors
Handrails on both sides
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
For computer users:
Avoid “bi-focal posture”
Get computer glasses – better than
bifocals
Reduce glare – location of stations, antiglare screens
Adjust brightness and contrast settings –
same as work environment
Pay attention to overall body posture







25
Screen should be 20-24” from eyes
Top of screen at eye level
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Strategies and Solutions –
Visual Changes
For computer users:

Work should have contrast between letters and
background

black on white is best

aim for high contrast combinations

avoid busy backgrounds and red font.

“3-Bs” – Blink, Breathe and Break

20/20/20 Rule (Every 20 minutes look 20 feet
away for 20 seconds) – relaxes the focusing
muscle

Lighted copy stands
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Auditory Changes
 Presbycusis begins between
age 35-40
 Results in difficulty:
 tuning out background noises
 detecting simple, low intensity
sound
 locating the source of the sound
 discriminating sounds when
multiple noise sources are
occurring.
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Strategies and Solutions –
Auditory Changes





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Reduce overall level of noise and
background noise with sound dampening
products.
Maintenance of equipment and machinery
Assure that alarms/warning devices have
both auditory and visual alarms.
Assure that control panels use auditory and
visual alarms as well.
Think about training programs – can
everyone hear? Add in visual clues
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Strategies and Solutions –
Auditory Changes



Implement a Hearing Conservation
Program, even if not required
Mandatory annual audiograms
Reduce your “internal PEL” to 80-85.
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Physical Capabilities
Basic strength peaks at 30; declines
thereafter.
Decline is more rapid after 60, regardless of
our overall physical condition.
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Physical Capabilities



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Muscle mass and
elasticity
Bone mass and
degeneration of
the spinal
structures
Control of posture
stability
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 Balance and
coordination
 Ability to recover
balance
 Speed of
movement
 Ability to regulate
body temperature
Physical Capabilities
 Skin aging – less effective/efficient
chemical barrier
 Metabolism changes - affects
resistance to chemicals
 Degenerative arthritis - reduced
mobility and increased chronic
discomfort
 Reduced bone density – osteoporosis
 Heavy metal depository for bones
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Physical Capabilities
 Shift work and
overtime wreak
havoc with older
workers ability to
recover
 Recession-based
 Retirement-fund based
 Proper rest decreases
risk for MSDs
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Strategies and Solutions –
Physical Capabilities
 Provide opportunities for
strength training –
(on site gyms, fitness
classes, morning
stretches).
 Encourage employees to
participate in fitness
programs off work.
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Strategies and Solutions –
Physical Capabilities
 Is that lift really necessary?
 Look at tasks that require long
reaches
 Install chain actuators for valve hand
wheels, damper levers of other
similar control devices
 Reduce ladder tasks by installing
shallow angle stairways in place of
ladders for regular elevated access
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Strategies and Solutions –
Physical Capabilities
Defeat worker fatigue by:
Color and decoration of work area
Proper lighting
Music
Exercise
Allow workers to control their environment
with regard to breaks and temperature
6. More frequent, shorter breaks
7. Nap rooms (what?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Cognitive Changes
 Most findings related to cognitive
losses have occurred in
laboratory settings.
 Though the losses are real, we
are not entirely sure how workers
are affected in a
real-life work
setting.
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Environmental, Inc.
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Cognitive Changes
Regardless of the
cognitive
changes, there is
no evidence that
our innate
intelligence
deceases as we
age!
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Cognitive Changes
 Short term memory is impaired
 Long term memory is reduced
 Decisions made more slowly, but
the quality is not affected
 Ability to learn new material or
skills slows
 Response time slows, especially
as the task gets more complex
 Multi-tasking is more difficult
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Strategies and Solutions –
Cognitive Changes
 Make sure work areas and control
panels are uncluttered
 Look at task series and see if they can’t
be lengthened or multi-tasking can’t be
reduced
 Increase decision-making time
 Minimize memory load – use lists and
cheat sheets where possible
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Strategies and Solutions –
Cognitive Changes
Older adults learn rely more on
“crystallized intelligence” – knowledge of
the world through experiencing it increases as we get older
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Strategies and Solutions –
Cognitive Changes
Effective training:
 relates to past learning experiences
 encompasses smaller pieces of information
 provides for opportunities to practice – in
class and shortly after returning to work
 utilizes frequent refreshers
 don’t forget to address
any visual or auditory
decrements
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Strategies and Solutions –
Cognitive Changes
 Use the “tribal knowledge” by having
older workers become curriculum
developers and co-trainers
 Craft a mentoring program that uses
older workers as primary trainers
 Look for internal motivation to learn
 Audit your training program (not just
evaluations)
 Look for observational proof that they
retained the information
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Areas of Impact
 Normal physical/cognitive changes in
abilities and decrements lead to:
Higher fatality rates
Increase in falls
Higher rates of CTDs/MSDs
Higher severity rates
Diagnostic difficulties due to
co-morbidities
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In the Workplace - Fatalities
Fatalities by Age Group
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
=
=
=
=
=
=
Percent of Total
7.6%
15.7%
20.0%
25.6%
18.6%
12.0%
Percent of Workforce
13.6%
21.8%
21.7%
23.4%
15.1%
4.4%
Source: BLS Data 2009/2010
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In the Workplace - Falls
 60% of ladder falls occur to
workers >44
 Fatal Falls:
15 to 44 - >15 feet
45+ - >7 feet
 38% of fall fatalities are
from older workers
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In the Workplace - Falls
Fall – occurs when
a slip or trip stops
you from
maintaining your
center of mass
over your base of
support
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In the Workplace - Falls
 “Conservative gait pattern” – shorter
step and stride, reduced ankle ROM,
reduced speed (shuffle walk)
 Due to increase composition of
body fat, declining muscle strength,
musculoskeletal changes, and
neurological changes
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Strategies and Solutions –
Falls
 Housekeeping,
housekeeping, and more
housekeeping!!
 Color contrast on ramps,
surfaces, and stairs
 Reduce your facility’s fall
protection minimum height
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Strategies and Solutions –
Falls
 Improve slip-
resistance of flooring
 Mandatory slipresistance footwear
 Evaluate floor
treatments and
cleaning practices
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Strategies and Solutions –
Falls
 Balance exercise programs
 Provide balance flexibility
 Builds a strong core and improves lower body
strength
 Keeps the slips and trips from becoming falls.
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In the Workplace –
Ergonomics
 Repetitive motion injury is the event with the
highest median days away for all industries
at 18.
 Sprains and strains accounted for 39% of
injuries requiring days away from work.
 45% of those injuries were from overexertion
 Overexertion accounted for 48% of injuries
to those in health-care related occupations.
BLS - 2009
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In the Workplace –
Ergonomics
 Carpal tunnel surgery –
2nd most common
musculoskeletal surgery
(>225,000/year)
 23% of patients return to
their previous positions
 57% failure rate
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In the Workplace –
Ergonomics
 25.1% of injuries reported to
BLS/OSHA from overexertion
 $13.4B in costs
 Lifting, pushing, pulling, holding and
throwing
 Many go unreported in early stages
 Symptoms go away
 Normal aches and pains
 Incentive programs?
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
Follow these basic concepts:
 Adjust work surface heights – bring down or
raise up
 Change work area layouts
 Provide foot rests
 Pad sharp surfaces or tool handles
 Rotate jobs or shorten shifts
 Limit overtime
 Increase frequency of breaks
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
Consider the following evaluation
tools to identify problem tasks/work
areas:
 Washington State Ergonomic Checklists
 Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
 Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
 NIOSH Lifting Guide
 Snook Push/Pull/Lift/Lower/Carry Tables
 Roger’s Fatigue Analysis
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
Static stretching:
 Holding muscles/tendons in a still position
for 15-30 seconds - usually done at the start
of a shift or after lunch
 Has not been proven to reduce injury if
done prior to physical activity
 American College of Sports Medicine
recommends no static stretching prior to
activity
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
 Dynamic stretching:
 Large active movements involving full
ROM of joints
 Uses body's natural reflexes to stretch
opposite muscle groups
 Lubricates joints
 Increases blood flow to the extremities
 Assists in preparing mind for work
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
Both Have a Place
Static stretching
 beneficial for muscle repair
 moves toxins out of the body
 done at end of activity or periodically
throughout the day
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Strategies and Solutions Ergonomics
Both Have a Place
Dynamic stretching
 Beneficial to lubricate joints
 Increase blood flow to extremities
 Prepare the mind/body for work
 Done before activities and at beginning of
shift/after lunch/breaks
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In the Workplace –
Severe Injuries
Median Days Away from Work
20-24 = 5
25-24 = 6
35-44 = 9
45-54 = 10
55-64 = 12
65+ = 15
All Workers = 8
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Source: 2008 BLS Data
In the Workplace –
Severe Injuries
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In the Workplace –
Severe Injuries
Percentage of Days Away from Work Cases
Age Group % 11-20 Days
All Ages
11.7
16-24
11.4
25-34
11.5
35-44
11.5
45-54
11.6
55-64
12.3
65+
13.2
% 21-30 Days
6.8
10.3
6.2
7.0
7.4
7.6
8.3
% 31+ Days
26.0
14.3
20.9
27.6
30.1
32.9
35.6
Source: 2008 BLS Data
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In the Workplace –
Severe Injuries
 We have made great strides in the past 40
years at reducing injuries/illnesses
 But do we have it backwards?
 In our efforts to reduce frequency, have we
neglected severity?
 With increase in costs and severity of injuries,
we must revisit our methods
 particularly as the older workers begin to
predominate our workforce
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In the Workplace –
Chronic Health Issues
 133 million Americans have one or
more chronic medical conditions
 75% of all healthcare expenditures are
for chronic medical conditions
 60% of America adults are overweight
or obese
 By 2013 more than 1 out of 4 dollars
for personal consumption will be for
health care
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In the Workplace –
Chronic Health Issues
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Heart disease
 910,000 people die each year
Cancer
 1/3 from poor nutrition, no physical activity,
overweight/obesity
Stroke
 1 million disabilities per year
Chronic Respiratory Disease (COPD)
 51% report work limitations
Diabetes
 88 million disability days per year
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Diabesity???
 The Centers for Disease Control calls the
increase an “epidemic”.
 Prevalence rates have doubled from
1990-2005
 24 million as of 2007 (increase of 2
million in just 2 years)
 Pre-diabetes rates estimated at 57 million
 8% of the total population; 25% of those
60+
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Increase in Obesity
1998
1990
2007
No Data
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<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
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20%–24%
25%–29%
≥30%
In the Workplace –
Chronic Health Issues
 At onset of medical condition for workers
between 51-60:
 ~25% left their jobs
 ~25% stopped working
 ~50% stayed at current jobs
 Of those who stayed accommodations were
made for 29% of men and 37% of women
 Examples – alteration/assistance with job
duties, change in schedule, shorter work day,
more breaks
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In the Workplace –
Chronic Health Issues
 Co-morbidities:
 Makes diagnosis more
difficult
 Harder to determine
work-relatedness
 Makes actual treatment
more complex and
difficult
Slow down the natural
healing process
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In the Workplace –
Chronic Health Issues
 Employees will adapt to subtle changes
in their health and capacity –
sometimes without anyone noticing
until….. a serious injury or illness
occurs
 Sometimes the adaptations are healthy
and beneficial, sometimes they are
simply dangerous shortcuts
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Strategies and Solutions
Chronic Health Issues
 Despite the efforts of
health prevention and
health promotion – the
health status of our
population has not
improved
 Wellness programs need
to focus on prevention
and disease
management
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Strategies and Solutions
Chronic Health Issues
 Strong functional job descriptions that
enable realistic evaluations by medical
professionals
 Functional capacity evaluations tie it
together
 Employers need both to begin to
identify potential and reasonable
accommodations
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Strategies and Solutions
Chronic Health Issues
 If there are options, injured/ill workers
are less likely to force themselves to
come back to their previous
position/hours
 Migrate to less demanding jobs
 Provide options to acquire new skills
 “Red circle” a pay grade
 More flexible work schedules/hours, bridge
employment, transitional opportunities
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Older Workers, Newer Thinking:
Trends and Strategies
2011 Governor’s Occupational Safety and
Health Conference
October 2011
Pam (Ferrante) Walaski, CSP, CHMM
President
JC Safety & Environmental, Inc.
Pittsburgh, PA
www.jcsafety.com