Aussie tradies missing out on thousands of dollars a year because of injury

Electricians and builders are among Aussie tradies most likely to miss out on thousands of dollars a year because of one simple reason.

Australia’s tradies are missing out on $4000 a year due time off work for injuries.

But health experts say just 10 minutes of stretching at the start of each day could reduce the severity of work-related aches and pains, which typically force tradies off the job for two weeks to recover.

“Tradies will look after their own tool boxes … (but) there’s often a lack of priority given to their number one tool, which is their body,” says occupational therapist Dave Hall.

“Being a tradie is a physical job. There are days where you will feel fatigued and a bit achy.

“But we shouldn’t normalise that and expect to always feel sore and achy and that that’s just part of the job – that’s not going to work well.”

Aussie tradies are missing out on $4000 a year due to injuries. Picture: iStock

INDUSTRIAL ATHLETE

Research from hipages, Australia’s largest online tradie marketplace, reveals 71 per cent of tradespeople have experienced work-related aches and pains in the past year.

Electricians and builders are the most likely to be injured at work, with muscular strains, pulls and tears are the most common injuries, followed by cuts and scrapes.

On average, the injuries have led to tradies downing tools for 11.2 days, with a potential loss of income of up to $4144 a year, the research shows.

But with rising costs of living, almost a third of tradies admit they have pushed through the pain, unable to afford the time off.

“Younger tradies, particularly, will often think they are invincible (and) they can use their body in whatever way they see fit and they will bounce back,” says Hall, who has partnered with hipages to create a bespoke stretching routine to help tradies prevent injuries at work.

“I’m not suggesting the routine is the only thing that’s important (in reducing injuries) but it’s a significant component.

“If you were playing some kind of sport you know you need to warm up and that’s the sort of attitude we think would make a big difference for tradies – they should think of themselves as industrial athletes.”

The stretches target the areas that tradies feel pain the most, including the back, shoulders, knees and neck.

“If tradies take just 10 minutes a day to complete (these stretches), it will make a huge difference to their physical health,” Hall says.

Martin Nguyen, 27, has been a builder for nine years.

TOOLS DOWN

Martin Nguyen, 27, has worked as a builder for the past nine years, but admits “it feels like I have done 30 years already”.

The owner of Kubra Building Services experiences constant back problems and consequently can no longer work full-time on the tools, often performing administrative tasks instead.

At times, the pain has been so constant that he has considered changing careers.

“There’s maybe three or four weeks a year that I’m just bedridden,” Nguyen says.

“I’ve got two young kids and when you’ve got a two-year-old daughter who wants you to lift her up and you can’t, it’s pretty rough.”

Having seen the toll work has taken on his own body, Nguyen now requires all his workers – including subcontractors – to do 15 minutes of on site stretching before starting work.

“Almost all of the injuries I had were 100 per cent preventable,” he says. “The physio bills have been in the thousands.

“And when it’s been really bad, and you can’t get out of bed and you can’t play with your family, a little bit of depression can happen.”

NOT EASY

The high injury rate for tradies is not surprising, given the constant bending, lifting and twisting they are required to do, hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker says. But he believes aches and pains are not an inevitable consequence of the job.

“It’s not easy being a tradie,” Tucker says.

“The average perception of a tradie is that they are tough and hardworking but they need to look after themselves a little better.

“An injury means time off the tools and hipages knows the devastating impact that can have for all tradies, especially business owners.”

While tradies are perceived as tough, they need to look after themselves.

PHYSIO STRETCHES FOR TRADIES

1. Smoko slowdown – From all fours, gently move your tailbone back towards the heels and allow the head and arms to soften to the floor. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat twice.

2. Leg pretzel – In a sitting position, stretch one leg out. Cross the other leg over, keeping the knee bent. Sit up straight and flex the toes backwards on your straight leg. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

3. Chest chisel – Hold the ends of a resistance band in each hand and gently roll the shoulder blades together, pushing against the resistance from the band. Puff the chest out. Repeat 10 times.

4. Tradie tango – Standing tall, stretch a resistance band diagonally across your chest. Puff the chest out and focus on bringing your shoulder blades together. Repeat 10 times each way.

5. Toolbox twist – Rotate your trunk from side to side by swinging your arms and using them as momentum. Repeat 10 times each way.

6. Workside waltz – Rock forwards and backwards slowly between the heels and the toes. Focus on keeping your balance. Repeat 20 times (10 times each way).

7. Crowbar curl – Puff your chest out and stand tall, holing the hands out with palms facing up. Push the palms away from the body with the fingers pointing down. Hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat five times.

For more detailed explanations of each stretch, go to hipages.com.au/tradie/tips-for-tradies/physio-exercises

Originally published as Aussie tradies missing out on thousands of dollars a year because of injury