Elle Cecil
Monday August 1 marked the beginning of Tradies National Health Month, where the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) aims to raise awareness about the health and injury risks involved in trade industries.
According to data from Safe Work Australia, the injury and illness incidence rate for trade workers is three times as high as any other occupation in the workforce. Though they only make up a third of Australia’s workforce, almost 60 per cent of serious workplace injuries involve a tradie.
The APA are promoting Tradies National Health Month to highlight the daily risks tradies take when going to work. Former APA national president Phil Calvert is pushing for tradies to take their health more seriously and exercise all possible precautions on the work site.
“We need to get tradies to prioritise their health so that they can continue to play the important roles they hold in the workforce, their families and the community at large,” Mr Calvert said.
“Australians’ reliance on the work that tradies do is huge, so we need to encourage them to seek proper, evidence-based care before their small niggles become large issues that could potentially lead to time off work.”
Basic safety tips for tradies on site:
-Warm up and stretch your muscles each day before you start work.
-Pace yourself throughout the day to ensure that you aren’t overworked.
-Communicate with others on your job site to ensure that all workers are on the same page and can support each other.
-Use the correct technique or ask for help when lifting heavy objects to avoid injury.
-Speak up if you are uncomfortable about something you have been asked to do: you’re allowed to say no to a task if you think it might be harmful to your health.
-Alert the relevant supervisor or manager on site and seek medical advice if you are injured or experience a workplace-related injury.
Workers in the industry need to consider the roles of food and nutrition, exercise, mental health care and exercising safety in the workplace to ensure a holistically healthy approach to work.
Tradies National Health Month runs from Monday 1 August to Wednesday 31 August. For more information, visit www.choose.physio/fortradies.
