Date of Award

January 2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Economics & Finance

First Advisor

David Flynn

Abstract

Workplace safety is critical for any organization. Creating a culture of safe behavior and developing safe surroundings can take a lot of time and effort, so it is important for firms to fully understand their risk exposures and their areas of focus for reducing or eliminating those risks. This analysis focuses on the aging American workforce and the impact on injury frequency rates. The aging workforce has been the focus of many analyses, but this analysis differs in that it focuses solely on their effects, if any, on injuries reported to the Occupation Safety and Health Association (OSHA).

Over time, individuals have continued to live longer and longer. Workplace safety must keep up with the aging workforce. Age 55 was once considered retirement age, but with the longevity of life, employees are continuing to work well into their sixties and seventies while still allowing themselves ample time for retirement. The study utilizes age 55 as the comparison cutoff point, allowing for a significant amount of the workforce headcount to be examined in the analysis and accounting for the deterioration of physical capabilities as individuals age. The results ultimately show that workers 55 and over are, in fact, more likely to be injured in the workplace than their younger counterparts. This information can prove valuable to firms looking to implement safety initiatives in the workplace and allow them to better understand the scope of employee impact and focus of attention.

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