Occupational Injuries and the Older Worker: Challenges in Research, Policy and Practice

Details

• Personal Author:
  Benjamin KL ; Pransky-G
• Description:
  Little is known about the outcomes of occupational injuries and illnesses in older workers. While employers, benefits managers and policy makers are increasingly aware of the present and future growth of this segment of the workforce, they have not yet focused upon this issue. They may be influenced by the common research finding that older workers are no more at-risk for occupational injuries than their younger colleagues, and are therefore not a problem worthy of separate consideration. However, as the minimum age for retirement benefits rises and Social Security wage replacement value falls, increasing numbers of older workers with health problems will remain in the workforce. Even if the "healthy worker'' phenomenon is maintained, the greater number of older workers in the labor pool implies that there will be more occupational health problems in this age group. The preservation of work function is particularly important in older individuals, whose lessened recuperative powers are more likely to lead to permanent loss of these abilities unless they receive treatment specific to their occupational conditions. Such treatment programs often must be tailored to the needs and capacities of older individuals (Bornstein, retirement benefit age is raised, persons with health- 1986). Better understanding of the factors influencing the outcomes of occupational injuries is needed, along with clear standards of treatment and rehabilitation. Policies and regulations are needed to successfully maintain the older work-injured employee in the workforce or, where this is no longer possible, to provide fair and adequate benefits. Only when the risks, outcomes and stakeholder preferences are more clearly understood can this growing segment of society enjoy the benefits of and be adequately protected from the adverse effects of prolonging work life. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Aging Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Age Factors Age Groups Aging Workforce Injuries Injury Prevention Workers
• ISSN:
  1070-6127
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  47-61
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057353
• Citation:
  Southwest J Aging 2000 Apr; 16(2):47-61
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2000
• NORA Priority Area:
  Work Environment and Workforce: Special Populations
• Performing Organization:
  University of Massachusetts, Worchester, Massachusetts
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19990930
• Source Full Name:
  The Southwest Journal on Aging
• End Date:
  20030929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d828bf7c05b6cd7f34725c5692f8c20e63eb5d3f10a2756934d4ff5a4d02e7a2227ac1e90d2bf961f6cf3ae27ddafa12ae09dc64cea50e0dafc7b1db315511c6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214736/cdc_214736_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.05 MB ]