Farmington, CT ̶ Leaders and workers in manufacturing and other sectors with physically demanding jobs are invited to attend a free webinar hosted by NIOSH and UConn Health on Thursday, October 14, 2021, from 2 to 3 p.m., Age-friendly Checklist: Engage and Retain Your Skilled Workforce. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and UConn Health Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine are hosting the webinar to promote the concept of an age-friendly application (iAge e-tool) and create stakeholders who can be part of its development.
Over the coming decades, workers over 50 years and older are expected to make up increasingly larger percentages of the workforce, while the percentage of workers in younger age groups is expected to decline or remain flat. These demographic changes affect virtually all economic sectors and have profound implications for occupational safety and health. Although older workers are often valued for their job-related knowledge and expertise, they can also be more vulnerable to a range of health issues, including musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), falls, severe/fatal injuries, and chronic health conditions. Despite growing knowledge of how aging affects the safety and health of workers, there remains a pressing need for practical, evidence-based tools that provide guidance to employers to create safer and healthier work environments.
The e-tool is intended to aid organizations in designing age-friendly workplaces, with emphasis on improving workers musculoskeletal health. Although this project focuses on the manufacturing sector, it is expected to have a broader application to other physically demanding jobs, and can be used in small, medium, or large companies.
NIOSH researchers from the National Center for Productive Aging and Work (NCPAW), Dr. James Grosch and Dr. Gretchen Petery, will discuss trends in workforce aging and the implications for occupational safety and health, as well as workplace applications for the iAge e-tool. Attendees are invited to get involved in the development of this product. In particular, the research team is looking for interested and motivated industry partners (e.g., employers, human resource managers, supervisors, OSH specialist, workers, retirees, manufacturing educators) to share insights and later test the iAge e-tool. For instance, this may include participating in interviews or focus groups or providing feedback on the usability of the product. The completed e-tool will eventually be available freely from NIOSH for public use.
We need your help to develop a tool most companies with an aging workforce can benefit from. For more information, please register to the introductory webinar by selecting the link below, email caldwellcover@uchc.edu or call UConn Health, 860-679-6389.