Occupational health and safety has to be adapted for the aging workplace in order to be effective. By integrating best practices for the aging worker, OH&S may successfully be integrated into an organization's culture and safety is assured, every step of the way.

1. NOVEMBER 18 & 19, 2014
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
CONFERENCE
CHRIS HYLTON, MA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
ADRIANE WHITNEY
Impact of the Aging Workforce
on OHS Practices

2. Disclaimer
2
The information presented to you today is considered
to be general best practices for organizations across
Canada. The information is not intended to provide
legal counsel or legal advice.

3. Learning Objectives
 Understanding age trends in the workplace
 The needs of mature workers
 Helping mature workers stay safe and healthy in the
workplace
 Companies that are getting it right!
3

4. 4
Age Trends in the Workplace

5. Changing Workplaces
5
 More people are living longer
 People are able to work
with medical conditions
and disabilities that
precluded them from
work in the past
 Many retirees are
coming back to work
full time, part time, and
as consultants

6. 6
Aging in Canada
Source: Statistics Canada.
* Projected population.

7. US Aging Trends Age 65 + Age 85+
7

8. Insufficient Retirement Income
8

9. Global Workforce Aging Trends
By 2021, 1 in 4 Canadian
workers will be over age 55
By 2015, 1 in 5 European
workers will be over age 55
By 2016, 1 in 3 American
workers will be over age 50
9

10. Consider This
10
 Peak physical performance
 Age 25
 Peak muscle strength
 Between age 19 and 30
 Manual dexterity, joint mobility,
vision, hearing
 Decrease with age

11. Why It Matters
11
 Workforces are now starting to feel the full impact of
the aging workforce
 Employers need talent, skills, knowledge, and
experience on their teams
 Mature workers need engagement, income,
flexibility, and value

12. It’s Happening Today
12

13. Needs of Mature Workers
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14. Basic Needs For All Generations
 Respectful and inclusive workplace
 Health and Safety strategies
 Clearly defined performance expectations
 Access to tools, resources, feedback, and coaching to
encourage success
14

15. Mature Worker Needs
Flexibility
More
Growth
Know they add
value
Workplace
Modifications
Needs
15

16. Give Them What They Want!
16
Engagement
Flexibility
Safety Growth
Value
Income

17. Dispelling the Myths about Mature Workers
17
Myth
 Mature workers don’t fit into an energetic and fast
paced workplace
Reality
 Older workers are motivated to exceed
expectations
 Older workers have a high retention rate for
learning new skills

18. Dispelling the Myths about Mature Workers
18
Myth
 Mature workers are not willing to share job
information and skills; they want to prevent younger
workers from advancing
Reality
 Mature workers can be effective mentors

19. Dispelling the Myths about Mature Workers
19
Myth
 The cost of employing mature workers is higher than
the cost of employing younger workers
Reality
 Mature workers have higher productivity
 Mature workers have fewer absences
 Benefit coverage is less expensive as it does
not typically include multiple dependents

20. Aging Advantage
Life
experience
Wisdom
Strategic Rational
Responsible
Productive Communication
Confident
Mentor
20

21. Understanding Age Management
European Agency for Health and Safety at Work
defines age management as emphasizing that “age
related factors should be taken into consideration in
daily management, including work arrangements and
individual work tasks, so that everybody, regardless of
age, feels empowered in reaching their own and
corporate goals.”
21

22. Successful Age Management
Awareness
Fair attitudes
Core
management
task
HR policies
Promoting
productivity
Lifelong
learning
Age friendly
Dignified
retirement
SUCCESS!
22

23. 23
Safety for Mature Workers

24. Simple Solutions
24

25. Physical Risks
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 Accumulation injuries
 Repetitive strain injuries, wear and tear resulting from years of
performing similar activities
 Hearing and vision loss
 Strains and sprains
 Common due to loss of strength, flexibility, and endurance which
occurs as our bodies age
 Cardiopulmonary changes
 Increased risk of overexertion; changes to tolerance for heat and cold
 Falls
 Caused by decreased balance, vision changes, slower reaction times

26. Physical Risks
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 Heart disease
 Diabetes
 Musculoskeletal diseases
 Osteoporosis
 Arthritis
 Cancer
 Mental illness

27. Health and Safety
Ergonomics
• Minimizing
hazards
• Setting up
for success
Job Demands
• Changing
bodies,
changing
demands
Training
• Maintaining
safe work
skills
27

28. Ergonomics and Universal Design
28
An approach to the design of products, services, and
environments to be as usable as possible by as many
people as possible regardless of age, ability, or
situation.
Source: Wikipedia

29. Principles of Universal Design
29
 Equitable use
 Flexibility in use
 Simple and intuitive
 Noticeable information
 Tolerance for error
 Low physical effort
 Size and space for approach
and use

30. Fairness in Use
30

31. Flexibility in Use
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32. Simple and Intuitive
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33. Simple and Intuitive
33

34. Noticeable Information
34

35. Tolerance for Error
35

36. Low Physical Effort
36

37. Communications is Key
37

38. Size and Space for Approach and Use
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39. Incorporating Universal Design Principles
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 Prevention through Universal Design
 When creating a new office space or making changes,
incorporate these design principles into the process
 Pre-task planning
 Consider these principles when adding new tasks or
determining best way to have a task completed
 Tool selection
 When purchasing tools and equipment, select based on
meeting these principles of design

40. Prevention Through Design
40
 Design to reduce risk of injury and illness by
integrating decisions affecting safety and health
during stages of the design process
 Hazard: Power lines suspended above a construction site are
an electrical hazard
 Solution: Design to allow adequate clearance between the
structure and the power lines; bury, disconnect, or reroute
existing power lines around the site BEFORE construction
begins

41. Fall Prevention via Design
41
 Locate mechanical equipment on the ground or away
from edge of heights
 Specify fixed stairways and ladders
 Specify 39-45 inch high windowsills
 Specify permanent anchorage points for personal fall
arrest systems

42. Time to Participate!
42

43. Principles of Universal Design
43
 Fairness in use
 Flexibility in use
 Simple and intuitive
 Noticeable information
 Tolerance for error
 Low physical effort
 Size and space for approach
and use

44. Job Demands
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 Most jobs can be modified or rearranged in order to
maximize efficiency and minimize risk for injury

45. Schedule
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 Part time
 Contract
 Flex time
 Modified start
and end times

46. Work Location
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 Telecommute
 Alternate office location closer to home
 Office close to parking or public transportation
 Main floor

47. Physical Demands
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 Ergonomic workstations
 Desk and chair
 Assembly line

48. Physical Demands
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 Modified lifting and carrying

49. Physical Demands
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 Auditory requirements
 Work in an area with less background noise
 Increase communication via written instructions
 Telephone work with adjustable volumes for the ringer and the
handset and speaker
 Work in smaller area, closer to other coworkers

50. Physical Demands
50
 Visual demands
 Modify workstation to ensure reduced peripheral visual field is
not an issue
 Increase font size on monitors
 Reduce screen glare
 Ensure adequate light transmission
 Modify documents to a simpler layout that is easy to read

51. Training
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 Regular training opportunities
 Practically based training
 Fit training into what they already know
 Provide the justification and logic behind the
training and procedures

52. Special Considerations for Training
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 Provide short, clearly written instructions
 Ensure training material is easily legible and that the
information is not overwhelmed by a busy design
and graphics
 Allow additional practice time
 Minimize distractions during
training

53. Getting it right!
Deloitte
BMW Group
National Institutes
of Health
53

54. Deloitte
 Career Lattice program
 Employees can dial up or dial down during their career with
Deloitte
 Flexibility in ways to work
 Customize the when, where, and how
54

55. BMW Group
 Work environment
 Designed an age friendly workspace with input from
architects, automotive engineers, physical therapists, and
doctors
 Incorporated over 70 employee recommended changes
 Slowed production line
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56. National Institutes of Health
 Recruitment
 Workplace culture
 Recognizing the caregiver
 Flexible work arrangements
56

57. THANK YOU!
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Thank you for the opportunity to
present to you today!

58. About us
58
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59. Contact us
59
#517-7620 Elbow Drive SW
Calgary, AB T2V 1K2
403-264-5288 www.hylton.ca
800-449-5866 chris@hylton.ca
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