Although warehouses and manufacturing operations continue to struggle to staff their facilities adequately, there actually is a growing labor demographic: older workers. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of older workers is almost four times larger today than in 1985. Moreover, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasted their ranks to grow for another 10 years. The agency predicts adults 55 and older will continue to increase their workforce participation through 2025.That presents an excellent opportunity for companies seeking to fill openings, particularly those that implement ergonomic solutions to support the unique needs of older workers.

“Turnover is a huge factor in today’s warehouses and manufacturing facilities,” said Rob Beightol, Director of Marketing at Gorbel. The company is a member of the Ergonomic Assist Systems & Equipment (EASE) Council of MHI. “The most forward-thinking operations are already deploying ergonomic equipment to help their existing workforce be more productive while reducing injury risks.”

By making work easier, these technologies not only expand a potential labor pool, but also differentiate a job from similar positions elsewhere that lack an ergonomic focus.

Using Ergonomic Equipment as a Tool to Recruit Older Workers

“To make open job positions more attractive to older workers — especially as fewer people want to enter a manual labor workforce — it’s really important to have the best ergonomic systems possible,” noted Rob Jorden, Vice President of Engineering at EASE Council member Blickle Wheels & Casters USA. He agreed that ergonomic solutions can be a useful tool for recruiting and retaining older workers.

“Many EASE Council members focus on adjustable workstations, lift assist systems, tilt tables, or pallet positioners, and other technologies that reduce the strain of repetitive, manual work,” Jorden said. “Implementing those solutions can help with both hiring and keeping older workers on the job longer.”

Some companies are even highlighting their investment in ergonomic solutions as a way to encourage older workers to join their operations.

“They’re demonstrating how these ergonomic systems make the job easier and less tiring. That can deliver a real benefit when recruiting prospective employees who might shy away from jobs that call for lifting heavy loads or repetitive manual movements,” added Beightol. “Ergonomic equipment can make an operation an employer of choice for this demographic.”

Here, Beightol and Jorden share four ways ergonomic solutions support older workers in manufacturing and warehousing jobs.

Ergonomic Solutions Increase Older Workers’ Productivity, Longevity

“As employees get older, they typically have less physical strength, less agility, and less endurance,” explained Jorden. The National Bureau of Economic Research says that makes strenuous jobs less appealing to this demographic.

Applying ergonomic equipment to reduce the strain of physical tasks, however, can make tasks that require lifting heavy loads, reaching, bending, stretching, twisting, and stooping virtually effortless.

“The machine — whether it’s an overhead lifting device or a turntable, for example — does the work,” Beightol said. “The operator is simply guiding the equipment. That minimizes wear and tear on the shoulders and the back, allowing a worker of any age to perform that task for an extended period of time.”

As a result, older workers can be more productive because they’re able to maintain a steady pace instead of slowing down as they tire. “It also allows older workers to remain in the workforce longer,” he added.

Ergonomic Solutions Enhance Older Workers’ Capabilities

With facilities continuing to experience shortages of skilled labor, operations managers must often reallocate staff to different processes. That might result in an older worker needing to perform a more strenuous task than they’ve previously done.

“That’s where there’s a real need for ergonomic equipment,” noted Beightol. “These solutions make it easier for an older worker to handle a more physically demanding process.”

Ergonomic technologies prevent a user from overexerting themselves, potentially causing injury. They also reduce the potential for repetitive stress injuries by reducing the cumulative effect of lifting and positioning the same object hundreds of times.

“Training is also much quicker with ergonomic equipment in place,” noted Beightol. “That makes it easier for any employee, regardless of their age, to get up to speed on a new task.”

Ergonomic Solutions Allow Older Workers to Perform Heavy Lifts Alone

Companies often require two employees to lift heavy loads in tandem as a means to reduce the chance of injury. But in short-staffed operations, this can hamper productivity. Workers may attempt to lift a load alone in order to keep up with target throughput rates.

Most ergonomic lifting and positioning equipment, however, allows a single worker to manipulate a load alone, said Beightol.

“Unlike traditional lifting tools, ergonomic equipment acts as a conduit between the worker and the load being lifted,” he explained. “Many of these pieces of equipment make a two-person job become a one-person job.”

Ergonomic Solutions Protect Older Workers from Injury

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that older workers are less likely to sustain an injury on the job. However, when an injury happens to an older worker it tends to be serious — and more likely to be fatal.

“Anecdotally, the older we become the longer it takes to recover from an injury,” observed Beightol. “Given that, it seems reasonable that — when they return to work — an older worker might not be quite as productive as they were before the injury. That makes having ergonomic solutions in place even more critical.”

Further, some ergonomic equipment is programmable. Such features allow operations managers to set the system with different limitations and movement restrictions for different users.

“By setting up different programs, the equipment can prevent older workers from moving a load beyond a certain point to protect them from injury,” he explained. “For example, an intelligent lifting device might allow a wider range of vertical movement for younger workers, such as from knees to ears. But the same device’s programming limits older workers to a shorter range — like from hips to shoulders — to avoid overexertion.”

Learn More About the Benefits of Ergonomic Equipment

The members of the Ergonomic Assist Systems & Equipment (EASE) Council offer solutions that enhance both ergonomics and productivity. The association recently presented a panel discussion of best practices for successful ergonomic equipment deployments. Its website hosts a variety of free educational resources, case studies, videos, and seminars for operations seeking more information about these solutions.