Older Workers: Risks and Adapting the Work

Safety for older workers: a question of fit, not age

The most experienced craftsman in a factory is often the one who can tell a fault from the sound of a machine and shows newcomers the tricks of the trade. The same craftsman may not see the edge of a step in a dim corridor on the evening shift, or may tire faster than a younger colleague at a furnace in summer. Safety for older workers means addressing both facts together: preserving experience while arranging the work around capacities that change with age.

Art. 10 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety requires the risk assessment to take into account the situation of groups requiring special policies, such as young, older, disabled, pregnant or breastfeeding workers. Art. 5 lists, among the principles of prevention, adapting the work to the individual by taking care in the design of the workplace and the choice of work equipment and working methods. The Law sets no age limit for "older". The yardstick of the assessment is therefore not calendar age but how well the worker fits the capacities the job requires.

Workers who have retired and continue to work also have the same rights and obligations as other workers under OHS legislation: pre-employment and periodic examinations, training and personal protective equipment apply to them in exactly the same way.

Capacities that change with age and adapting the work

Some functions are expected to change with age, but the speed and degree of this change vary greatly from person to person. The table below summarises the general trends and the corresponding adaptations:

Function	Possible change	Effect at work	Example adaptation
Vision	Difficulty seeing close up, sensitivity to glare, slower adaptation to darkness, reduced contrast discrimination	Unable to read small labels, unable to see the edge of a step	Brighter, glare-free lighting, large-print labels, contrast strips
Hearing	Loss at high frequencies, difficulty telling speech apart in noise	Missing a warning sound or a verbal instruction	Visual alarms, radios, taking audiometry results into account when choosing hearing protection
Heat tolerance	Reduced sweating and sense of thirst, effects of medication	Developing heat stress earlier in hot environments	Drinking plan, rest breaks, rotation in hot work
Muscle strength and joints	Reduced muscle strength and flexibility	Back and shoulder strain in manual handling	Lifting aids, reduced load weights
Balance	Slower balance reactions	Falls after slips and trips	Floor layout, handrails, platforms instead of ladders
Sleep and shift adaptation	Harder to adapt to shift changes	Fatigue on night shifts	Adjusting the direction and frequency of shift rotation

Most of the adaptations in the table benefit not only older workers but everyone. A well-lit staircase also protects a 25-year-old. Presenting adaptations as improvements to the workplace standard rather than as "personal privileges" therefore gains wider acceptance.

Vision and hearing: light, contrast and alarms

Chief among the changes expected with age is the growing difficulty of seeing close up from the forties onwards. Added to this are sensitivity to glare and the eye's slower adaptation when moving from light to dark. On site this means:

Lighting levels should be measured according to the type of work and inadequate areas improved. We explained the measurement method and recommended values in our article on lighting levels in the workplace.
Glare should be prevented: diffused luminaires instead of bare lamps, and screens positioned to reduce reflections.
Contrast should be increased: stair nosings, changes in floor level and danger zone boundaries should be marked in a distinct colour.
Labels and instructions should be printed in large type; small lettering on control panels should be made legible.
Transition zones: Sudden changes in light, such as moving from a bright warehouse to a dark loading ramp, should be reduced.

In hearing, age-related loss can overlap with noise-induced loss. When interpreting the hearing test of a craftsman who has worked in a noisy environment for many years, the workplace physician considers these two factors together; our article on reading audiometry results offers guidance on this. Test on site whether a worker with reduced hearing can hear the forklift horn, the fire alarm or a radio announcement. If not, measures such as warning lights, vibrating pagers or a buddy system should be put in place.

Heat tolerance: extra care in hot work

With age, the body's capacity to shed heat and the sense of thirst can decline; some medicines, such as blood pressure and heart medication, can also affect heat tolerance. In foundries, at furnaces, on roofs and construction sites in summer, and in poorly ventilated enclosed spaces, this increases the risk of heat stress.

In hot work, set drinking intervals and keep water close to the work point.
Acclimatise newly started workers, or those returning from leave, to the heat gradually.
In periods of intense heat, move the heaviest tasks to the cooler hours of the day.
For measuring and assessing heat stress, use our article on heat stress (WBGT); we explained the symptoms and first response in our article on heat stroke.

The effect of a worker's medication on heat tolerance or attention is a matter for the workplace physician to assess in confidence; only the work-related restriction is passed on to the manager.

Muscle strength, balance and ergonomics

In work requiring manual handling, reaching and squatting, reduced muscle strength and joint flexibility increase back, shoulder and knee complaints. The way to reduce these risks is not to say "give the heavy work to the young", but to make the work lighter for everyone:

Weigh the loads carried and assess the lifting conditions; the NIOSH lifting equation is a practical tool for this.
Use lifting aids, adjustable working heights and wheeled handling equipment.
For work done standing or squatting for long periods, plan a sit-stand option and short breaks.
To prevent falls, remove changes in floor level and slippery spots, provide handrails on both sides of stairs, and prefer fixed platforms for work that involves reaching up high.

You can find details on preventing back and neck complaints in our article on preventing back and neck pain.

Adaptations that preserve experience

An older worker's biggest contribution to the workplace is often their knowledge. Adaptations should be made without losing it:

Mentoring pairs: The experienced worker takes part in newcomers' job-specific risk training and on-the-job induction.
Role enrichment: Some physically demanding tasks are swapped for tasks that require experience, such as quality control, machine setting, training or first-off checks.
Flexible shifts: If adapting to night shifts has become harder, the shift pattern is reviewed together with the worker on the workplace physician's recommendation. For the rules on night work, see our article on night work.
Involvement: Decisions on adaptation are made after talking with the worker. An experienced worker moved to "light duties" without being asked often perceives this as being devalued.

Health surveillance for older workers: what does the physician do?

The legislation does not set a separate examination frequency for older workers. Periodic examinations are carried out according to the workplace's hazard class: at least every 5 years in less hazardous, at least every 3 years in hazardous and every year in very hazardous workplaces; the workplace physician can shorten this interval according to the worker's condition. For frequency and tests, see our article on periodic examination frequency and tests.

When examining an older worker, the physician usually focuses on:

Whether vision and hearing are at the level the job requires
Chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart and lung disease, and the effect of medication on work
Musculoskeletal complaints and manual handling capacity
Tolerance to exposures such as heat, noise and shift work
A written recommendation to the employer for any adaptations deemed necessary

We covered the assessment of workers with chronic illnesses in detail in our article on workers with chronic illness. At Bursa Sistemer, our workplace physician service turns examination results into work adaptation recommendations and puts them into practice on site together with the OHS specialist. We plan tests with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers. You can check the examination frequency for your hazard class with the OHS obligation calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a retired person who is working need a pre-employment examination?

Yes. A person who has retired and continues to work, or is re-employed, is the same as any other worker under OHS legislation; the pre-employment examination, training and periodic examinations apply to them as well.

Are older workers examined more often?

The legislation does not set a separate frequency by age; the frequency depends on the hazard class. However, the workplace physician can shorten the periodic examination interval according to the worker's health.

Is it mandatory to remove an older worker from heavy work?

There is no mandatory age rule. The decision is made on the basis of the workplace physician's fitness-for-work assessment and the risk assessment. In most cases, reducing the load, providing aids or enriching the role is a better solution than taking the job away from the person.

What are the risks for experienced workers?

Experience is usually protective, but in a job done without problems for many years, risk perception can weaken and habits may not be updated. Having experienced workers also take part in training on new equipment and methods reduces this risk.