Association between workplace-level awareness of Age-Friendly Guidelines and occupational safety and health measures for older workers.

Although Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare established the "Guidelines for Ensuring the Safety and Health of Older Workers (the guideline)" in 2020, little is known about the awareness of the guideline. This study examined the associations between workplace-level awareness of the guideline and workplace characteristics, as well as the association between guideline awareness and occupational safety and health measures for older workers, including occupational accident-prevention measures and workplace accommodations. A questionnaire survey was conducted between October and November 2024 in 500 workplaces affiliated with the Meihoku Labour Standards Association. Of the 260 workplaces that responded (52.0%), 107 workplaces (41.2%) reported guideline awareness. Implementation rates of occupational accident-prevention measures and workplace accommodations were higher in workplaces that were aware of the guideline. Guideline awareness differed significantly according to industry type and the presence of occupational health nursing professionals. Implementation rates of occupational accident-prevention measures and workplace accommodations were both associated with guideline awareness even after multivariable adjustment for workplace characteristics such as workplace size and industry type.