Ask the Ergonomist: The Aging Workforce

VelocityEHS ergonomists have 30 seconds to answer some of the most common questions we get on workplace ergonomics.

Video Transcript

Deepesh: Hi everyone, I’m Deepesh Desai, certified ergonomist at Humantech (now VelocityEHS Ergonomics) and I’m here with Kent Hatcher, who’s also certified ergonomist. We are doing a new series, ask the expert, and Kent is going to answer a question that we get all the time through webinars or training sessions that both of us have done in past the catch is through and, this is for him, he will have to answer the question in less than 30 seconds. So, that is his time.

Kent: It’s difficult for me.

Deepesh: Yeah, well, it is. So, we’ll see how he performs under pressure.

Kent: Okay, I’m ready.

Deepesh: Perfect. So, the question is: how do we design and accommodate for aging workforce?

Kent: Right, very common question we get questions on aging all the time. Usually, they’re centered around though how to accommodate for declines in strength and flexibility from the musculoskeletal disorder perspective but the most significant declines with the aging workforce and with vision and hearing and cognitive ability. Unfortunately, most of the time the aging workforce are in jobs like quality and inspection that really rely on those faculties and less on heavy physical jobs that require the strength and flexibility. So, the design for the vision and hearing and cognitive ability is most important when you’re considering that population.

Deepesh: Your time is up.

Kent: Okay. Did I miss anything?

Deepesh: No, you captured it really well. The only one thing I would say is designing when you’re designing for a healthier workforce, you’re still accommodating aging workforce. So, you know designing for aging doesn’t have to be separate.

Kent: It’s designed for all.

Deepesh: It’s designed for all.

Kent: Okay, yeah, I mean this was a really interesting experience. 30 seconds is not a lot of time. We’re going to be doing a series of these, so stay tuned for the next time when maybe the tables are turned, and I get to ask Depeche a question. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.