Ergonomic Design for the Safety of an Aging Workforce by Occupational Safety Expert Sam Cramer

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About one in every eight people, or 12.4 percent of the population, is considered an older American, age 65 and up. (According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Aging, Washington, DC).

"Between 1995 and 2007, the number of older workers on full time work schedules nearly doubled" (Older Workers: BLS Spotlight on Statistics.)

Don´t catch yourself saying, "so what" and, "not our company". The concern for ergonomics in the workplace is ever-growing and has an effect on the bottom line. In the times of economic see-saw, workplace injuries and associated costs can mean the difference between operating in the black and running in the red.

The aging American workforce presents challenges to EH&S managers in terms of safety and ergonomics, especially with overexertion injuries. Overexertion is listed as the #1 workplace injury cause and includes pushing, pulling, throwing, lifting, holding, or carrying related injuries. In 2005 this category of injuries cost businesses $12.7 billion in direct costs alone.

How are these issues addressed at your facility, and especially in your loading and unloading areas? Is powered or lift assisted equipment being utilized to lighten the burden on the operator while increasing efficiency, or does it take more than one person to deploy safety equipment in order to access vehicles? Bulky, awkward hoses used for loading are probably a thing of the past at your facility, especially if throughput and ergonomics are a part of your goal to increase profit and prevent injuries.

If your facility is free of trip hazards and operating at full capacity, we would love to talk more about your accomplishments and how you can help others achieve the same. If you read this and think there could be ways to improve, don´t worry... we would like to talk to you too! Ergonomics and the aging workforce are issues to consider when designing or building your next project or facility. Why burden yourself with the hassles of considering all of these issues, when you can rely on over 75 years of experience in designing and building thousands of projects all over the world. Let us share about some of the issues we have had to deal with in the past and how improving on them at your facility could mean a higher return on investment on your next project. Call today for your report 1-800-845-2387 or visit our site, www.carbis.net .