While you’re managing your business, the last thing you want to deal with is a workplace injury. It’s impossible to eliminate dangers on the job, however, there are ways to reduce the risk and prevent the most common tradie workplace injuries.

Strains while lifting heavy objects

If you’ve ever had a muscular injury, you’ll know what we mean! Tradies spend a large portion of their time lifting heavy objects and your muscles can be put under a lot of stress. A muscle injury can take months to heal, and in some cases, it never quite goes away.

“Lift with your legs” rings true. Avoiding these injuries and minimising the risks can be done by learning how to lift correctly.

Bend at the knees and use the leg and hip muscles to avoid strain on the back. Deeper core muscles can also contribute to safer lifting techniques. Try some ab exercises to develop these muscles. Another trick to reduce this risk is warming up at the start of the day using dynamic movement and stretches.

Wounds

Take a look around a worksite, and you’ll find several sharp objects that could have the potential to cause wounds. No matter how many years’ experience you have under your belt, working with sharp tools and heavy machinery always puts you at risk. It only takes a few seconds to slip up, so ensuring that health and safety measures are up to standard is essential.

Stress the importance of using safety gear and the correct tools. Rushing on the job and skipping these steps puts your tradies at risk, so it’s important to ensure the right measures are being taken.

Slips, Trips and falls

Buildings at various stages of development can have many hazards such as scaffolding, equipment and materials. It’s not surprising that slips, trips and falls happen daily in the workplace. They can cause a number of injuries and can sometimes lead to long term problems.

Eliminating or minimising these hazards is the best way to prevent these injuries. Tradies can avoid these hazards by using proper signage to alert workers of the danger, investing in the appropriate fall protection material and ensuring every worker uses the correct safety attire.

Running regular health and safety meetings can also increase attention and understanding of the risks.