Changing worlds of work and occupational health: Insights on working into older age

In order to gain greater insight into the reality of working into older age within a changing world of work, and any health implications of this, Helen has collaborated with Nina Day (a HSE specialist in workplace transport) and Sheena Johnson (an Occupational Psychologist at the University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School), to gather evidence from the GB logistics and transport sector. This is a sector where the average age of the workforce is increasing, and where musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are already a significant problem. There is potential for the prevalence of MSDs to rise as the average age of the workforce continues to increase; with older workers already being more likely to have multiple health conditions.

In this short article Helen sets out some of the key findings from her collaborative research on ageing and health in the GB logistics and transport sector. The full findings are published as a HSE research report (http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr1104.htm). However, before sharing the findings with you, she begins by setting these in context by briefly looking at some occupational health statistics, as well as HSE’s health priorities, and working into older age.