Report urges employers to address aging construction workers

The Society for Occupational and Environmental Health recently published a report that compiled information from 2009's Healthy Aging for Workers conference -- funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and CPWR: The Center for Construction Research and Training -- that addressed the growing concerns about the aging workforce.

The group identified construction as one of the sectors most in need of health and safety solutions for older workers. Although not traditionally considered an industry rife with aging employees, statistics paint a different picture.

According to a report, construction workers are getting older and staying in their jobs longer. The average age of construction workers was 39.5 in 2007, which is 3.5 years older than in 1985. Construction workers are also putting off retiring. Average retirement age in construction has increased to 61.4 in 2006 from 59.3 in 1994.

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Experts believe that the increasing age of construction workers combined with the heavy physical demands of the job present a potential time bomb for employers.

"This is really a matter of training these workers to work smarter, not harder," said Cindy Roth, president and CEO of Ergonomic Technologies Corp. in Syosset, N.Y. "Also, construction employers need to provide employees with the tools they need to reduce the risks found on the job. For example, it's cheaper to purchase manual handling assists than it is to pay for an injury. When we can drive that fact home, employers will understand that they can keep their workers on the job longer and that it will help employees work faster."

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February 18, 2010

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