Aging Workforce Means Greater Need for Ergonomics

If you are like nearly every other workplace in Ontario, your workforce’s average age is getting older. From an injury perspective the formula is straight forward, older workers are less physically capable because as our body’s age, our tissue tolerance decreases making us more likely to get injured. Simply put, what we can do when we are 60 is not the same as what we could do when we were 20.

Is it possible that the formula for fixing this issue is just as simple? We think so. To reduce the likelihood of injury you must make the job easier; and you do that by considering ergonomics.

Ergonomic initiatives are designed to make the job easier by reducing weights, frequencies, unnecessary movement (i.e. reach distances), double handling and more. By reviewing and trying to improve the areas of your jobs that have greater ergonomic risk, you will be allowing your aging workforce to perform the job safer, for longer.

The best part is that an ergonomic intervention for your older workers has a multi-fold benefit for your younger workers who experience reduced physical demands for many more years!