Do older workers suffer more workplace injuries? A systematic review.

Aging populations are a dramatically increased worldwide trend, both in developed and developing countries. This study examines the prevalence of fatal and non-fatal work-related injuries between young (<45 years old) and older (≥45 years old) workers. A systematic literature review aimed at examining studies comparing safety outcomes, namely fatal and non-fatal injuries, between older and younger workers. Results show that 50% of the reviewed papers suggest that fatal injuries are suffered mainly by older workers, while the remaining 50% show no differences between older and younger workers. Regarding non-fatal injuries, 49% of the reviewed papers found no relationship between workers' age; 31% found increased age as a protective factor against non-fatal injuries; and 19% showed that older workers had a higher risk of non-fatal injuries than younger ones. This review suggests that older workers experience higher rates of fatal injuries, and younger workers experience higher rates of non-fatal injuries.

Citation

Gonzalo Bravo, Carlos Viviani, Martin Lavallière, Pedro Arezes, Marta Martínez, Iman Dianat, Sara Bragança, Héctor Castellucci. Do older workers suffer more workplace injuries? A systematic review. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE. 2022 Mar;28(1):398-427

Mesh Tags

PMID: 32496932

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