Blog

Many Pennsylvania workers are painfully aware that retiring at the age of 60 or 65 is no longer attainable. Because the retirement age is being pushed back, it is not uncommon for employers to have workers who are 70 to 75 years old, even in labor-intensive industrial jobs. This can make it difficult for safety professionals to ensure that workplace safety messages are delivered to every employee regardless of age.

They should ensure that safety information is presented to the audience in a way that makes sense. This means using language that the employees understand and customizing training as much as possible. For example, some older employees may not be as comfortable with certain forms of technology, so safety information should be sent to employees using a variety of communication options.

In some cases, customizing safety training can be difficult if the company is hiring many employees of different ages at once. Safety professionals can get around this if they mix the methods they use to train employees. If they can customize training, they have to avoid becoming discriminatory. For example, not offering online training and additional opportunities to use new technology to older employees due to the stereotype that older individuals are not as good with technology could be discrimination.

When workers are not properly trained, they are at risk for suffering injuries on the job. When an injury does occur, the victim might want to meet with an attorney to discuss the procedures involved in filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits could be available regardless of who was at fault.