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Age and occupational change among coal-miner

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Abstract

Reports a pilot study of 946 coal miners at 5 collieries which examined factors affecting the age at which men leave coal-face work. Miners are subject to the interactive and cumulative effects of arduous work and environment, heavy pace, and organizational pressures. Against a background of awareness and acceptance of increasing incapacity, the ability to cope diminishes noticeably among men about 45 or over. Leaving the coal-face is an occupational self-selection process. The choice is forced on the older man by recognition of his growing inability to handle occupational pressures; the younger man's decision to leave owes more to his unwillingness to continue such work. It is concluded that some of the attention given to training new workers could profitably be applied to mitigating occupational pressures and thereby lengthening the working life of experienced older men. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

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