AircraftOwner Online

Pundits are calling it the "Silver Tsunami." It's the graying of the American work force. Today, 19% of American workers are age 55 or older. By 2016, that number will climb to 25%, according to a recent survey by the independent Pew Research Group. America's most numerous generation, Baby Boomers are pushing retirement back and working longer. The reasons are numerous:

 

• Better healthcare has extended the average U.S. lifespan to 78, and many Americans are living into their 80s (the country's fastest growing demographic) and even 90s.
• Many retirees bored with retirement are returning to work part-time and even full-time or are seeking second careers.
• Loss of retirement investment value and savings during the recent recession has forced many older Americans to push retirement back by a number of years. They simply can't afford to quit working.

With fewer young workers moving up from the next generation to replace aging workers, businesses can't afford to lose the experience and knowledge older workers bring to the table. Adopting ergonomic practices and utilizing ergonomic equipment will be key to accommodating America's aging work force and essential to avoiding age-discrimination suits.

As bodies age they lose strength and flexibility. Ergonomically-designed equipment like Lindy's AircraftCaddys is designed to remove physical effort from common tasks such as transporting aircraft at airports, FBO, corporate and private air fields and ground operations. Like all carefully designed ergonomic equipment, Lindy's aircraft tugs and plane tows reduce the risk of injury that can occur while performing pushing, pulling, lifting and transporting tasks.

Lindy's aircraft tows and aircraft tractors allow a single individual to easily move aircraft up to 35,000 pounds. Ergonomic design eliminates back aches and muscle strains that can injure and disable airline and FBO workers of any age and particularly older workers. Lindy's ergonomically designed airplane tugs allows older workers to perform ground control tasks with the same ease as younger, stronger, more agile workers.