RETIREMENT CASTS A LONG SHADOW

摘要

WITH A substantial portion of their engineers and operators nearing retirement age, many chemical companies face the risk of losing crucial know-how as experienced staff leave. Indeed, in a fairly recent CP online poll, nearly half of the respondents said that retirement of baby boomers would significantly affect their sites (www.ChemicalProcessing.com/ articles/2011 /survey-baby-boomer-retirement/). Some companies are hoping to defuse this demographic time bomb through a variety of initiatives for capturing and transferring older workers' knowledge and experience. For instance, Air Products, Allentown, Pa., is over four years into developing its procedures for knowledge retention and transfer.