Performance implications of older workers in technological manufacturing environments: a task-analysis human reliability perspective

Manufacturing environments are becoming increasingly technological while th e work force is aging, thus, many older workers will find themselves in new roles. Traditional methods of evaluating overall system human reliability via task analysis are equipped to qualitatively accommodate knowledge regar ding the relationship between age and the abilities required in advanced ma nufacturing technology systems. Combining task analysis with knowledge of a ge-related changes will allow system designers to recognize potential probl ems for older workers and design accommodation into the system.