Does Your Health & Safety Policy Consider Older Workers?

The UK's ageing population is giving many employers considerable factors and situations to think about. With the national average retirement age and life expectancy for both men and women going up year after year, the prospects of retiring at the age of 65 have become distant memories for many workers.

This means that as long as older workers are employed and in receipt of some form of company remuneration, organisations must be mindful of their invariably higher health and safety risks and avoid potentially legally and financially damaging violations and penalties.

What’s more, with workforces diversifying and spanning multiple generations nowadays, organisations sector-wide now face new challenges in ensuring their health and safety policies remain both effective and inclusive.

As more employees choose to work beyond the expected retirement age – often to maximise their private pension benefits but sometimes because they still need to make ends meet – businesses must mindfully and strategically adapt their health and safety policies, procedures and frameworks accordingly.

Understanding the Need for Age-Inclusive Safety Policies

The modern workplace is experiencing a substantial shift in demographics. According to the most recent data from the UK’s Annual Population Survey (from July 2023 to June 2024), the state pension age in the UK is currently 66 and rising, and yet 9.5% of people aged 66 or older (equating to 1.12 million people) still work.

The reasons for working beyond retirement age vary dramatically; some may voluntarily want to continue working, some employers may feel they need older workers’ expertise and experience, while other workers feel backed into a proverbial corner given the current cost-of-living crisis.

One thing that cannot be disputed is the valuable expertise and knowledge that workers in their 60s and 70s bring to their roles. Despite this valuable quality and trait, organisations – particularly those in high-risk sectors – must recognise that ageing workforces present different and often serious health and safety challenges if not properly addressed. As such, organisations must be proactive in reassessing and adjusting their health and safety procedures, policies and measures to ensure they adequately protect and support workers of all ages.

The best course of action is to approach this situation free from preconceived assumptions or biases, and not to implement blanket policies based solely on age. Instead, health and safety executives or managers must focus on creating inclusive, flexible safety measures that accommodate various needs and capabilities.

Legal Framework and Compliance Requirements

The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employers to protect all workers irrespective of age, so far as is reasonably practicable. Employers must ensure that information, training, instructions and supervision are all present and accessible to enable workers to carry out their work safely.

In addition to this, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) mandate risk assessments that consider the individual characteristics of employees. From a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) perspective, the Equality Act 2010 protects workers against age discrimination while allowing for justified health and safety measures

Conducting an Age-Inclusive Risk Assessment

To develop effective and inclusive health and safety policies that meet all of the above requirements, organisations should conduct comprehensive risk assessments that consider not just when a worker reaches a certain age, but also if anything significant changes.

Think carefully about the activities that older workers undertake or are likely to do as part of your overall risk assessment, considering whether any dramatic changes are necessary. For example, you may wish to consider including changes that allow older workers more time to complete tasks or training, give them more opportunities to pursue other types of work, or delegate other physically intensive or manual handling tasks to avoid the risk of serious injury.

Consider the following in terms of a few key areas:

Physical Environment

• Evaluate workplace ergonomics and make necessary adjustments (e.g. more space, standing desks, adjustable chairs, etc.)
• Conduct a comprehensive building survey if necessary to confirm its suitability for an expanding and growing workforce.
• Assess lighting and noise levels and visual displays where needed to avoid sensory overload and overstimulation.
• Provide additional rest or breakout areas where needed.
• Review manual handling procedures and deploy additional helpful aids or equipment, or enforce additional workers to share the load.
• Consider workplace temperature and ventilation requirements for optimal comfort.

Job Design

• Examine work patterns and break frequencies, extending leniency to older workers.
• Review shift arrangements and rotation systems, ensuring workers have sufficient rest time
• Consider task variety and both physical and cognitive exertion levels, intervening where necessary.

Workplace Support

• Ensure adequate training and refresher courses to bridge any gaps or skills shortages.
• Implement mentor systems to share knowledge, giving older workers the opportunity to train or coach younger starters.
• Provide real-time health monitoring where appropriate, particularly if older workers are deployed for extended periods unsupervised.
• Maintain open communication channels for reporting concerns, taking decisive action when needed.
• Monitor incident trends and patterns, updating your procedures and support based on findings and insights
• Schedule periodic reviews of your support and policies, soliciting feedback from workers of all ages.

Leveraging Experience and Knowledge

Older workers often possess extensive experience and a deep understanding of workplace processes if they have worked in a particular company for several decades.

Organisations should consider encouraging the experienced members of their team to participate in safety committees or other similar initiatives to best utilise their real-world knowledge and experience. If they feel that they would prefer to engage in more top-level activity than physical labour, then their expertise can be put to excellent and efficient use. Furthermore, risk assessments, safety procedures and even mentoring programmes can be created off the back of their input and involvement.

Older workers have a lot to offer each workplace even if they are not in the same physical condition they once were. Embedding them at the heart of the core processes and policies that your organisation thrives off will be a good use of their and your time and resources. This can lead to improved forums for discussing safety improvements openly and collaboratively, ensuring regular consultations with all workforce groups, and establishing clear reporting channels, all of which can contribute to an improved and safer workplace

As workplace demographics continue to evolve, organisations should:

• Stay informed about emerging health and safety research.
• Monitor changes in relevant legislation.
• Consider technological solutions to support workers.
• Plan for future workplace adaptations.

Improve Your Workplace Health and Safety Inclusion

Remember that effective health and safety management is about supporting individual capabilities rather than making assumptions based on age. Consult relevant research and findings (such as the IOSH post-retirement report concerning worker age, health and safety) to establish a benchmark system for how you can make your workplace healthier and safer for your older workers.

Creating an age-inclusive health and safety policy takes time and careful strategic implementation. By taking a comprehensive approach that considers the needs of all workers while leveraging the experience of older employees, organisations can create safer, more productive workplaces for everyone.