Source
NOIRS 2000--Abstracts of the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2000, Pittsburgh, PA, October 17-19, 2000. Pittsburgh, PA: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2000 Oct; :66-67
Abstract
The civilian labor force has increased considerably over the past quarter century-due in part to rapid population growth and an increasing retirement age. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the number of older workers will increase by 48% between 1998 and 2008, from 17 million to 25 million workers. Between 1980 and 1994, workers aged 65 years and older had the very highest workplace injury death rates-3 times the rate for other workers. The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities Surveillance system reported 6,471 fatalities of civilian workers aged 65 years and older. The number of all fatalities has decreased over time, but the proportion of older worker fatalities has increased-ranging from a low of 6% of all work-related fatalities in the early 1980’s to 8% in 1994. Characteristics of older worker fatalities during 1980-1994, suggests that interventions need to focus on those who work in agricultural settings, who work around or operate machines, and who are exposed to fall hazards and risk factors for violence. Past fatality experience and projected employment patterns can be analyzed together to better understand the impact of an aging workforce on occupational safety and health.
Keywords
Accident-rates; Accident-statistics; Accidents; Accident-prevention; Injuries; Traumatic-injuries; Mortality-data; Mortality-rates; Mortality-surveys; Statistical-analysis; Epidemiology; Agricultural-workers; Agricultural-industry; Age-factors; Age-groups; Machine-operators; Injury-prevention; Surveillance-programs