Tradies prioritising tool care over health care

Tradies in Australia take better care of their tools than they do their health, according to new research released to mark the launch of Tradies National Health Month.

Commissioned by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), the Empirica Research survey revealed that 79% of tradies report taking good care of their tools, compared to just 47% who took good care of their bodies.

This is despite the fact that tradies have one of the highest injury rates of any occupation.

Nearly two-thirds of tradies said they had been injured in their current job and half of these said they expected to be injured again.

The survey findings come as no surprise to APA National President Phil Calvert, who said tradies are prone to a range of injuries as a result of the intensity and repetitive nature of their work.

“Many tradies are not seeking treatment or are delaying treatment until their injury becomes a much bigger and more complex issue. We know that lower back pain, knee and shoulder issues are common, yet almost a quarter (22%) of tradies in our survey said they didn’t seek assistance from a health professional for their injury, which led to a longer recovery time or chronic injury,” he said.

Calvert said a proper warm-up before work, including appropriate stretching and using correct lifting techniques, could help prevent injuries.

“While health and safety messages are getting through — with 68% saying they follow safe lifting guidelines — only 23% of tradies said they warm up before they start work.”

Calvert said attitudes were changing slowly, given that 55% of tradies still thought aches and pains were just normal for the work they do and nearly a quarter (24%) said they would think a workmate was a ‘wuss’ if they complained about an injury.

“Too many tradies are living with the attitude that injuries come part and parcel with the job, but that just doesn’t have to be the case,” he said.

“Early treatment from a physio is effective in reducing, relieving and eliminating a range of musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain and soft tissue injuries, as well as help with more complex health problems in consultation with a tradie’s own GP.”

The research found work injuries did not only take a toll physically but were affecting tradies’ mental health, with 20% of tradies surveyed reporting a mental health issue as a result of a work injury.

Workplace injuries are also hitting tradies in the hip pocket, with 65% stating they had lost income due to time off work because of an injury and 16% saying they had lost $5000 or more. That’s estimated to be a staggering $1.37 billion in lost income nationally.

The APA survey findings are supplemented by the latest data from Safe Work Australia, which indicates that almost three in five serious workplace injuries involve a tradie, despite tradies making up only 30% of the workforce.

“It’s definitely worth seeking out a physio to have a comprehensive assessment and get treatment. In most cases, the earlier the intervention, the better the outcome,” Calvert said.

Tradies National Health Month is an annual national awareness campaign that runs throughout August and encourages tradies to look after their most valuable asset — their health. Throughout the month, Safe Work Australia will be sharing resources on tradies’ health and safety by publishing a collection of data, videos, resources and information on its website and on its social media channels.

To find out more about how physios can help tradies, visit choose.physio/fortradies.

Image credit: ©Lisa F. Young/Dollar Photo Club