Workplace Safety and Older Workers

older worker

Workers of all ages in Connecticut may be interested to know that a growing number of workers are postponing their retirement. According to a review of federal employment statistics by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of people in the United States who are at least 65 years of age and are employed in at least a part-time capacity has risen from 12.8 percent in May 2000 to 18.8 percent in May 2016.

Working until the ages of 60 or 65 is no longer the norm. There are now many people who are 70 or 75 years of age and are still working. Some of them even have jobs in strenuous industrial positions.

This has resulted in a workforce that has a wide range of age groups and includes four generations of workers. This presents a challenge for safety professionals who have to convey messages that are able to be to easily understood and processed by all workers, regardless of how old they are. While safety professionals should refrain from using stereotypes as a foundation for creating effective messages, there are some trends with regard to age that they should consider.

The effects that aging can have on an individual’s health and physical ability should be a factor in workplace safety policies. Safety professionals have to develop ways for workers who choose to remain on the job well into their 70s to reduce the chances they may be injured because they are not as young as they once were.

People who are injured at work may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. A personal injury attorney should be consulted for assistance with appealing denied benefits and with determining whether the circumstances of the workplace incident indicate that there may be cause for a third-party liability lawsuit. Financial compensation may be pursued for crush injuries or permanent disability

At Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, we take great pride in representing the interests of hard-working individuals and business owners who take pride in their companies.