Today, our nation’s workforce is comprised of the highest percentage of workers aged 55 and older since the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began reporting labor force data in 1948. Furthermore, the BLS projects that more than 90 percent of all growth in the U.S. labor force from 2006 to 2016 will be workers aged 55 and older. Baby boomers are living longer and working longer, dramatically altering the face of U.S. worker demographics. As the workforce changes, the ways that we protect it must change as well.
In a recent study of 137 North American safety directors*, nearly all recognized a growing need for prescription eyewear among workers. According to The Vision Council, 70 percent of workers today require vision correction, and that number is on the rise. The leading reason behind this trend is the rapidly expanding population of Baby Boomers in the workplace.
Like everyone, boomers rely on their eyes as their primary means of experiencing the world — and making a living. Clear vision also plays a vital role in helping to keep individuals out of harm’s way among workplace hazards. Safety managers need to know how to protect workers as they experience reduced visual capacity.
Read the complete article in ISHN magazine
* Honeywell Rx Safety Eyewear Market Study, April 2011.
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