[Age management in enteprises as a part of occupational safety and health in elderly workers].

An aging society is one of the most important demographic, social and economic challenges facing the contemporary world. Human capacity to perform work changes with age, which is mostly caused by the decrease in physical capacity, physical fitness and in some elements of psychophysical fitness (e.g., perceptibility, reaction time, efficiency of sense organs). Moreover, the incidence of disorders of the circulatory, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems as well as of hormonal and metabolism disorders is higher in older persons. On the other hand, the requirements posed by professional work, as long as no change of post takes place, most often remain the same irrespective of age. As a result, the actual workload may increase with age. Although work ability decreases with age, the demographic and economic contexts point to the necessity to prolong occupational activity. It is justifiable to encourage an increasing number of elderly workers to remain in employment but only if the measures are being taken to maintain their work ability during the entire occupational activity period and to advance their qualifications. These measures must be accompanied by activities targeted at the modification of tasks, work stands, time and rhythm of work, so as to adapt them to the changing worker's capacities. Numerous activities are being systematically implemented in enterprises and the process is called "age management". The article describes the main assumptions of this new approach and the role of occupational physicians in the whole process.