Within Hand's Reach: Solutions for an Aging Workforce
From: New Equipment Digest - 07/10/2017
By: Jonathan Katz

Material handling tables and lifts can help manufacturers meet the needs of
the changing workforce by increasing productivity, efficiency, and safety.

Older workers - age 55 or older - are projected to make up approximately 26%
of the manufacturing labor force by the year 2022, compared with 21% in 2012
and 14% in 2002, according to a report by the Society of Human Resource
Management.

While some manufacturers may consider outsourcing or hiring temporary help to
fulfill their labor needs, other companies are adapting their work
environments to meet the needs of older workers. For example, Xerox Corp. has
emphasized the importance of ergonomics to improve the health and safety of
aging workers.

Tilt tables and lifts can help reduce physical stress for material handling
workers who perform various manual tasks. These movements may include
repositioning material, moving it from one place to another, loading a pallet
or feeding a machine.

Another issue contributing to material handling-related injuries is obesity.
Overweight and obese workers were 25% to 68% more likely to experience
injuries than normal-weight workers, according to a National Health Interview
survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2004
to 2012.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.newequipment.com/plant-operations/within-hands-reach-solutions-aging-workforce

Links:
Preparing for an Aging Workforce
https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/documents/preparing_for_an_aging_workforce-retail-and-hospitality_industry_report.pdf

Prevalence of work-site injuries and relationship between obesity and injury
  among US workers: NHIS 2004–2012
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5259819