The National Center for Productive Aging and Work focuses on safety at all ages.
NIOSH has launched the National Center for Productive Aging and Work (NCPAW), the first virtual center to be hosted by the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health®. It will focus on the safety of workers at all ages and promote well-being, as well as advance the concept of "productive aging."
According to a NIOSH news release, the center's mission is to develop a research plan for improving the safety and health of workers of all ages, facilitate collaboration among researchers and partners, develop new interventions, and highlight best practices for aging workplaces. The center also will help NIOSH advance age-friendly work policies at the national level.
"Either by necessity or by choice, Americans are working longer than ever before.”
- NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard
"Either by necessity or by choice, Americans are working longer than ever before. Our new center will focus on advancing the best ways to both address the needs and challenges of aging workers, and recognize the benefits of an aging workforce," said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. "Optimizing working conditions to match the reality that every worker is aging, from the first day on the job to the last, is essential. If our nation is to maximize its economic potential and keep workers safe and healthy, we must make this area of research a top priority."
The timing of the center’s formation is more relevant today than ever before. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020, one in four American workers will be over the age of 55, many of them with no plans to retire anytime soon.
The center will also advance the concept of productive aging—providing a safe and healthy work environment for all workers, and creating conditions that allow workers to function optimally and thrive from their first day on any job until the last day before full retirement. It also recognizes the benefits that accrue to organizations as they retain the institutional knowledge and extensive skills of long-term, older workers.
Today, one in every five American workers is over 65, and in 2020, one in four American workers will be over 55, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Today, one in every five American workers is over 65, and in 2020, one in four American workers will be over 55, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although there is no consensus on the age at which workers are considered “older workers,” the aging workforce phenomenon is real. These demographic shifts have made the issue of healthier workers, especially those of advanced age, much more pressing. Aging is a relevant process experienced by all workers throughout their life. Vital to any workplace is the safety, health and well-being of workers, from their first day on the job to their last.1
We are experiencing a quiet revolution where people are working past the "traditional" retirement age of 65. In the context of work, the DORN productive aging approach targets priorities of both workers and organization outcomes. These outcomes include improving well-being (worker-centered) to reducing healthcare costs and maintaining job performance (organization-centered). Contact DORN to facilitate integration of wellness programs and best practices with regards to workers of all ages.
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Volume 55 May 2013
This article was originally published by Occupational Health & Safety Online. You can see the original article here: https://ohsonline.com/articles/2015/10/15/niosh-launches-health-center-to-promote-worker-well-being.aspx
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/productiveaging/default.html
