THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE'S advancing age may well change the landscape of Barbadian workplaces.

This comes about as decisions are being made to raise the age of retirement to 70, considering Barbados' aging population.

Senior safety and health officer with the Barbados Labour Department, Claudette Hope-Greenidge raised this issue during an Ergonomics workshop hosted by B.A.G. Consulting Limited and Grantofix, at the DC Conference Centre in Manor Lodge, St Michael, last week.

"In workplaces people are aging, and employers need to consider some of the things that they will need," she said.

Hope-Greenidge explained that there was a general difference in upper body strength as people aged, and that would need to be taken into consideration.

She suggested, however, that employers may need to pay closer attention to the work-station layout for the older employee, the position of the computer, providing larger tools that are easier to hold and properly maintaining ventiliation systems for such employees. (JR-B)