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August is Tradies National Health Month!

Run by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), this year the Tradies National Health Month campaign focuses on tradies to “Share the load. Add a physio to your toolkit.”

The APA recommends to add a physiotherapist to your toolkit and get expert advice, specialist treatment and a tailored exercise prescription to protect the most important tool you own, your body!

Raising awareness of the health and injury risks posed to those who work in trade occupations—among individuals, their families, employers and the wider community is the aim of Tradies National Health Month.

Horner Recruitment is encouraging tradies and those undertaking physical or manual tasks to focus on their physical health and mental health.

This August marks the APA’s tenth Tradies National Health Month.

What are the most common injuries for tradies?

According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), back pain is the most common injury experienced by tradies. This part of the body is involved in almost all the tasks that a tradie can undertake at work.

Other common injuries to be aware of:

• Shoulder issues related to repetitive reaching and holding actions with the arms
• Knee injuries related to repetitive bending to the ground
• Ankle sprains related to working on uneven ground

How to reduce the risk of getting injured at work?

Most injuries to tradies or any person undertaking physical tasks occur as a result of ignoring pain and niggles, rushing at work, improvising with tools or equipment or being distracted by everyday tasks. You can follow a few simple steps to help reduce the chance of injury:

• Warm up each morning before you start work with some stretches
•  Take a few minutes when you are about to start a job to think it through to do it the best and safest way
• Pace your workload and rate throughout the day to avoid overuse and fatigue
• Communicate with others to ensure you’re working in an efficient and safe manner
• Speak up if you feel uneasy about the level of risk you are exposed to
• Don’t put yourself at risk of injury by rushing
• Say ‘no’ when required to ensure both your own safety and that of others
• If you’re experiencing aches or pains that are persistent, don’t wait until it’s bad!
• Manage injuries with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation)

Tradies and those undertaking manual tasks often have to complete jobs that can require either repetitive bending or involve being in awkward positions, so flexibility is really important to anyone who works in a physically demanding role. Improving flexibility requires regular stretching.

Check out this warm up video from the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Find out more

Visit the Australian Physiotherapy Association for more information on the campaign and how a physio may assist you.

Are you or someone you know a tradie? Check out our current tradie jobs today!  Visit https://www.horner.com.au/jobs/ and search in the category “Trades & Services”.