Task-based standards for lifeboat crew: Avoiding ageism

The current retirement age for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Inshore lifeboat (ILB) and All-weather lifeboat (ALB) crew is 45 and 55 years respectively. Forthcoming European legislation on ageism has led various groups, including the RNLI, to explore the option of replacing a mandatory retirement age with a task-related fitness standard. Such a standard ensures that the employee is physically capable of performing the most demanding critical tasks, irrespective of age or gender. This paper describes the approach and final fitness requirements of a project designed to replace age-related retirement with a task-related fitness test for the 5000 lifeboat crew of the RNLI. The final fitness test is a combination of work evaluation in the field and physical strength tests of the back, triceps, and grip endurance.