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Staying safe at any age at work

On Behalf of | Oct 10, 2017 | Car Accidents

As of May 2016, 18.8 percent of workers throughout America were 65 or older. That was an increase from 12.8 percent in May 2000, and it isn’t uncommon to see people who are 70 to 75 years old still working in manufacturing or other strenuous jobs. Therefore, Virginia employers may face a challenge in developing safety programs that are effective for up to four generations of workers in the same company.

These workers have a wide range of experience, ability and culture that need to be addressed. When it comes to keeping older workers safe, it is important to acknowledge that a person’s body may start to get weaker around age 65 or 70. In some cases, it may be necessary to adjust a person’s role to ensure that person’s safety over the long-term. Putting older workers in groups with younger people may help them become more comfortable with new technology.

According to a 2013 survey from the Pew Research Center, only 18 percent of Americans at or over the age of 65 owned a smartphone. However, once they learned how to use it, they were likely to do so on a daily basis. When it comes to training workers, younger employees may prefer more interactive training while older workers may prefer a video or lecture to learn new material.

People who are injured in workplace accidents are likely eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. This is generally the case even if the accident was caused by the injured worker’s negligence. However, if it was caused by a reckless disregard for safety on the part of the employer, an injured victim might want to meet with an attorney to see if filing a lawsuit against the employer would be allowable.