Moving toward years end, there is no better time to reflect on how physically demanding our business can be. The routine rigors on most jobsites can be daunting even for the youngest and fittest workers. But more of the bodies beneath those hardhats are getting older. And our industrys overall approach to health and safety needs to get smarter.
Despite efforts to draw younger recruits into the industry, the construction work force continues to age. There already were nearly 1 million construction workers aged 55 or older in 2001. Older workers mean greater national health problems because construction employs roughly 5% of the U.S. work force.