A Human Factors Engineering Perspective to Aging and Work

Abstract

This chapter examines aging and work from the perspectives of two interrelated scientific disciplines—human factors and ergonomics—which concern understanding the interactions among humans and various other elements of a system. These fields apply theories, principles, tools, and methods toward design solutions with the objective of optimizing human well-being and overall system performance while ensuring compatibility in the design of interactive systems involving people, devices, and environments. In this chapter, four broad topics related to the employability of older workers are examined: macroergonomics and sociotechnical system design; physical work demands; changes in work configuration and job selection; and technology, the future of work, and cognitive work demands.