A tradies’ health is their most important tool, yet Australian tradies experience some of the highest rates of injury and time off work compared to other workers. In fact, 3 in 5 serious workplace injuries involve a tradie, despite tradies making up only 30 per cent of the Australian workforce. The Australian Physiotherapy Association is encouraging all tradies, their employers and families to think about their health and take a few simple steps to prioritise their wellbeing at work.
Physically demanding trade jobs can cause and exacerbate a range of injures. It’s not surprising that tradies are overrepresented in workplace statistics compared to other workers. The average time off work due to serious workplace injury is 5-6 weeks, which is time many tradies simply can’t afford.
To help reverse these statistics, we need to take a good look at the workplace culture and practices of many tradies and encourage them to focus more on their health and safety. Quite simply, tradies rely on their bodies for work—their bodies are their primary work tool. If it breaks down or becomes incapacitated through injury or chronic illness, they can’t work to their full ability.
If you know a tradie who needs some attention, give Motion Health a call on 03 9825 2697