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The baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, account for about one third of the U.S. population. As the baby boomer generation moves through time, a shift is reflected in the construction workforce that advances the average age of workers to an older level. With older workers, new challenges emerge to assure their safety and health.

While many boomers are reaching retirement, others continue to work in the construction trades. There remains a large baby boomer presence in the construction industry that will remain throughout the next decade.

Construction is characteristically heavy work. A startling, yet predictable statistic reveals that more than 70 percent of back, knee and shoulder injuries occur in older workers. These injuries often result in higher costs due to time lost from work, longer recovery times delaying their return to work, higher medical costs from surgeries, and vocational rehabilitation when necessary for retraining. These injuries commonly result from years of heavy work that may ultimately manifest in a significant injury from a routine task of bending, reaching, lifting or carrying.

When a young worker enters the construction field, two fundamental conditions exist. First, younger workers tend to learn via on-the-job training from senior tradesmen who have the experience and time-honored values, even if sometimes associated with an outdated approach to the work task. Second, the younger workers come with a new set of values, often challenging the working dynamics on the job previously set by the older generation of constructors.

These concepts, while not necessarily conflicting, can result in a blend of expectations for job performance. Older workers tend to revere experience gained over time, and therefore may hold on to methods remembered from a time when modern engineering controls weren’t yet available.

Regardless, hands-on work is still physically demanding. Aging workers are inherently disadvantaged by their diminishing ability to continue meeting the challenging physical requirements of the industry. However, once baby boomers recognize the advantages of processes that improve work conditions, they are increasingly apt to accept new alternatives to their work tasks that make them safer and more manageable. These alternatives can be gained from engineering controls, assistance from co-workers, and retraining in another component of the industry.

Business owners are aware of the costs associated with workplace injuries suffered by older workers. Unsafe work environments may not only lead to costly OSHA citations, but more significant economic impacts as well.

Workers’ compensation insurers have limited tolerance for companies with high claims costs. Additionally, indirect expenses can also have a negative impact on the bottom line. These include an injured employee’s time away from work, personnel replacement costs, training, repair or replacement of damaged equipment, work interruptions, and other unplanned expenses.

Most companies need assistance with development and implementation of programs that provide the framework for these transitions. Resources are available from trade associations such as SafeBuild Alliance and Associated General Contractors. Both provide training, site assistance, and other benefits to their members that offer support for advancing the safety culture of construction firms.

There are many tangible benefits to keeping baby boomers in the workforce despite the challenges. Experience, stability, work ethic, loyalty and dedication are all part of that generation’s contributions to the construction industry. Transitional changes to the work environment can be achieved by building a strong, cohesive safety culture within construction companies.

Mike Salsgiver is the executive director of Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter. He has served in that role since 2008. AGC is a member of the SafeBuild Alliance – a nonprofit organization working to achieve incident-free construction projects through the transformation of workplace cultures. For more information or to join, visit www.safebuildalliance.com.