Women and the ageing workforce: implications for occupational safety and health - A research review– Executive Summary

This paper summarises the findings on the interaction between gender and age in the context of occupational safety and health. It highlights the need to consider age-related changes linked to sex (biological) differences — such as the menopause, for which research is lacking — and gender (socially constructed) differences — including segregation vertically (hierarchical differences) and horizontally (dominating different sectors), exposing women to different risks from men. With such differences persisting throughout working life, it is concluded that both gender and ageing need to be incorporated in risk assessment in a life-course approach.