Aging Workforce Presents New Safety Challenges
 As the number of employees over the age of 55 continues to rise, businesses are faced with the challenge of retaining these workers while reducing health and injury related losses. Loss control specialists Tina Minter and Russell Dronne with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies examined this challenge and offered businesses advice in a session titled, "The Aging Workforce-- It's Not Just Ergonomics" earlier this month at the American Society of Safety Engineers' Professional Development Conference and Exposition, Safety 2008, in Las Vegas.
 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that aging workers have fewer workplace injuries, but diabetes, hypertension, and other age-related ailments are helping to increase employers' costs associated with medical insurance and lost work production; nevertheless, businesses can help mitigate their losses by improving policies and workplace design to allow employees to continue to work in a safe and healthy environment, Minter said. "Older workers are highly valued by employers for their judgment, flexibility, experience, and creativity," she noted. "Fortunately, many of them will work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65, due partly to advances in health care. This presents both opportunities and challenges to businesses, which will need to adapt to maintain a safe work environment for these workers."
Although injury rates among older workers are lower than those of their younger counterparts, other factors can contribute to increased health and safety exposures: age-related chronic disorders and diseases, loss of hearing, impaired vision, and physical and cognitive limitations. Minter advised businesses to take action to address each of these risk factors. Some examples of what businesses can do include:
- Allow for flexible work hours so that those with poor night vision can adjust their start and finish time to coincide with daylight hours;
- Encourage employees to use the health care system for preventative well visits;
- Eliminate heavy lifts, elevated work from ladders, and long reaches;
- Encourage employees working at a computer to take small breaks every 30 minutes;
- Don't rely on sound as the sole means of emergency communications, as employees with hearing loss may not hear announcements.
"Employers should include older workers in the design process and seek outside professionals for assistance in adapting the workplace, training, and human resources policies to fit the aging workforce," Dronne said.
For more information on safety for an aging workforce contact Bob Arnold of PGM Safety Services at (800) 859-3177. |
NOTE: In preparation for the Holiday Season, when donated blood is most needed Pro Group has scheduled a blood drive with United Blood Services on October 15, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. If you or a family member can give blood, we encourage you to come to the Pro Group office located at 575 S. Saliman Carson City, NV 89701 on October 15th. This is a good cause and welcome your participation. 
When are employees covered under workers’ compensation and when are they not? This is a question often asked when it comes to the employee travelling to and from work and when completing a work related task outside of the office. The simple answer is that if the Employer is aware of the travel plans, commissioned the travel plans and the travel is work related then it will more than likely be covered through your workers’ compensation coverage. 
The California Highway Patrol is ready and drivers throughout California also should be ready for a new law taking effect July 1st in the state. It bars all drivers from using hand-held wireless phones while operating motor vehicles but lets drivers over 18 use hands-free devices. The law says drivers under 18 may not use hand-held or hands-free phones while operating a vehicle. 
The Department of Transportation has amended certain provisions of its drug and alcohol testing procedures to change instructions to collectors, laboratories, medical review officers, and employers regarding adulterated, substituted, diluted, and invalid urine specimen results. Published in the June 25, 2008 issue of the Federal Register and effective August 25, 2008, the changes in DOT's final rule are intended to create consistency with specimen validity requirements established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to clarify and integrate some measures taken in two of DOT's Interim Final Rules. The department noted that although 49 CFR Part 40 authorized specimen validity testing under the Interim Final Rules, it was not required. Now the final rule makes the testing mandatory within the regulated transportation industries. For more information on this and other DOT requirements contact Bob Arnold at (800) 859-3177 or 
With the new school year starting it is important to be aware of your surroundings. For all of those driving remember that the quiet streets of summer have turned into pedestrian busy streets populated with unconcerned children. Take time to plan your routes so you do not enter school zones and residential neighborhoods during the early morning and mid afternoon, this way you can avoid the morning arrival and afternoon departure times for school children. 
