title: Ergonomics/Human factors needs of an ageing workforce in the manufacturing sector.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the effects of demographic transition are realised around the world, many in-dustrial societies are facing the effects of a baby boom generation, increased life expectancies, decreased birth rates and recent changes to retirement legislation with the result that older work¬ers are set to comprise a greater proportion of the labour force.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews the evidence for the physical and cognitive factors that characterise an ageing workforce in manufacturing. From an ergonomics and human factors (E/HF) pers¬pective, characteristics of manufacturing tasks and the effects of ageing provide an insight into how the industry will have to adapt to support the user needs of the older worker in the future. The approach taken is drawn from Ilmarinen's framework of age, experience, and work performance, from which specific E/HF issues are explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There would appear to potential to support physical decline in older workers within manufacturing jobs through increased mechanisation and automation; however, those factors associated with cognitive human factors are less clear. Increased mechanisation and automation can place greater loads and demands on the older worker where cognitive decline is more subtle and varied between workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using historical and contemporary findings and the relationship between age, experience, and work performance is redrawn to include both cognitive skills and physical attributes to provide recommendations for future job design and worker needs.
authors.affiliation: Cultural Communications and Computing Research Institute (C3RI) Cantor Building, 153 Arundel Street, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: W Stedmon
authors.affiliation: Human Factors Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.affiliation: Human Factors Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: R Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dianat
keywords: Ageing population; Ergonomics; Human factors; Manufacturing; Older workers