Challenges for the Aging Workforce Using Ergonomics Strategies

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to develop theory and practice for building healthy companies with high labor productivity by groups of healthy workers in countries that are faced the onset of the coming aging society with a low birthrate. The four fundamental elements of environment, safety, health, and efficiency must be present in order to become a healthy company. The important keywords that underlie these four elements are human characteristics. Among these, aging in the workplace is one important characteristic that cannot be overlooked. Restricting the effects of aging on labour productivity to the minimum is equivalent to reducing the adaptive differences between the worker's work ability and work demands/work environment. In some cases, it is preferable completely to eliminate maladaptation. Consequently, the introductory section of this paper discusses expanding aging worker human resources and enriching their qualifications, and how to improve work ability. Then, it proposes ergonomics strategies for building healthy companies in the coming aging society with a low birth rate, from the perspectives of work ability and job adaptation. These strategies are on four levels, from the individual to the state level. At the same time, ergonomics tactics in occupational health and safety that correspond to these strategies are developed for each level.