Tradies National Health Month is an initiative that shines a light on our Tradies in the effort to raise awareness of the health and injury risks affecting people who work in trade occupations, their families, their employers, and the community. According to Work Safe, Tradies constitute 30% of the Australian workforce, and over 60% of serious workplace injuries in Australia are from Tradies. Working as a Tradie is a physical, demanding role that may be at risk for potential injuries. It’s of great importance that we support our Tradies to take care of themselves in protecting their bodies and minds. Here are three techniques to help a Tradie this month to protect themselves at work.
Protect Your Body
The greater majority of the roles for those who work in the trade and construction industry typically involve some form of manual labour. This often involves some form of lifting, twisting, bending, crawling, kneeling, and carrying when working onsite. Although this may be a normal part of the typical day-to-day work as a Tradie, this labour may also bring along with it a higher risk of having trips, slips, falls, and injuries when working. It’s important as a Tradie to protect your body from any potential injury or hazard, and to safeguard yourself through using injury prevention techniques when working. Injury prevention techniques may include keeping your chest up when handling anything heavy, keeping any loading close to your body, reducing or avoiding where possible any awkward and twisting bodily motions, and using any lifting and carrying equipment and aids, when possible. . Having great manual handling strategies is a great preventative step towards protecting you and your body.
Take A Break
In any industry, to protect your body and mind, it is critical to take regular breaks throughout the working day. One of the best techniques to prevent a Tradie from a potential injury is to take some form of a break through the day. By taking a break, you are allowing your body to rest and recuperate from the demanding, manual labour. A few approaches to taking a break are to stop and give yourself a stretching break to ease out any aches or pains your body may be experiencing, or give yourself a hydration break to drink plenty of water to refresh your body and mind. Whichever way you chose, the important thing is to have regular breaks throughout the day to keep your body and mind in peak physical and mental shape while you work, which may help in avoiding any potential injuries.
Be Sun Safe
For any role in any industry, it’s crucial to protect yourself by being sun smart. The weather in Australia can be incredibly punishing, and any exposure to the sun can cause potential damage to your skin cells, which may cause skin cancer. According to Cancer Australia, in 2021, 16,878 people were diagnosed with Melanoma skin cancer. For the greater majority of Tradies, their role may make them especially susceptible to skin cancer because of the outdoor nature of their work. To become sun safe, the best way to start is to wear SPF 50 plus sunscreen on your face and on the exposed skin on your body, wear a hat and long clothing to protect your body, and if possible, try to work in the shade to maximise your protection from the sun.
The construction industry is the backbone of Australia, and our Tradies work hard every day to build our roads, homes, and infrastructure to keep our country moving. Along with our hard-working Tradies and the work they accomplish, our Tradies may also have a greater risk of having a life-altering injury, illness, or potentially losing their life while working on site. For Tradies National Health Month, it’s imperative to support our Tradies by creating a safe environment through minimising any risk or hazard that may occur on site. This month, become involved in Tradies National Health Month by spreading awareness to your local Tradies that their mental and physical wellbeing is of great importance, or spreading the message through social media by downloading the National Tradies Month poster and putting it up on your social media page, or at your workplace.
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