As the Years Increase, So Do the Aches and Pains

By Barry Lovell

Do older workers have more frequent and severe occupational injuries?

Common sense would suggest that as workers age, they would be more prone to injury. Loss data have largely confirmed this assumption. A 2019 study from the Workers’ Compensation Research institute found that most indicators of claims expense increased by age cohort. For example, 44 percent of claims filed by workers 55 to 64 require surgery, while for workers 25 to 29, the percentage is 26 percent.

Older workers are also much more likely to die on the job than younger workers. 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the fatality rate for all workers was 3.5 per 100,000 full time equivalent workers while the rate for workers between 55 and 64 was 4.6 per 100,000 full time workers. For workers over 65, the rate jumps to 10.3 per 100,000 full time equivalent workers.

Unfortunately, we do still see lots of claims for younger workers, and the claims that we see tend to be qualitatively different from claims to older workers. Workers between the ages of 55 to 64, according National Safety Council data, have a much higher rate of injuries from falls or overexertion than workers from 20 to 24, while younger workers are much more likely to be injured through contact with electricity, chemicals, or a machine. Based upon the thousands of accident descriptions that we review every year, here is how I would characterize the difference: older workers often are inured performing the same task they had performed hundreds of times before, while younger workers are more likely to be injured based upon poor judgement or inexperience. Take, for example, this description of a fall from a ladder which occurred to a 22-year-old: “screw was giving him trouble, the ladder shifted, and threw him off balance.”

When we reviewed occupational injury data in construction, and controlled for age and labor market participation, we found that injury rates for workers’ between 20 and 24 were slightly higher than injury rates for workers 55 to 65, but that both groups had a higher injury rate than workers between 35 and 44.

Something like this phenomenon might explain another counter-intuitive statistic. Claims costs in construction tend to increase at a greater rate when the construction economy exits a recession. The hypothesis is that as newer employees are brought into the workforce, their lack of experience and knowledge causes an uptick in claims.

State labor laws seek to protect workers under the age of 18 from the hazards of certain occupations. In New York it is illegal to hire a minor for most construction work, including wrecking, demolition, roofing, excavation, painting, or exterior cleaning from an elevated surface. Under the workers’ compensation law, if a minor working in violation of the labor law is injured, compensation is doubled, and the award is not paid by the insurance company. The additional payment must come from the employer.

There is, however, an important exception to this rule regarding the employment of minors. Some occupational provisions do not apply to minors younger than 18 years of age who are apprentices in recognized apprenticeship programs.

Barry Lovell is the President of Lovell Safety Management Co., LLC. He can be reached at 212-709-8600 or blovell@lovellsafety.com.

So while it is difficult to ignore the influence of aging in a physical occupation like construction, one should never overlook the impact of training and skill. Particularly in construction, the data suggests that knowledge and experience are key determinants when it comes to preventing injuries, especially for younger or newer workers.

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