Safe Work Australia to shine a spotlight on tradie health this August

Safe Work Australia is calling on all tradies to make their health and the health of their co-workers a priority.

Tradies National Health Month in August will put a spotlight on tradies’ health and safety through a collection of data, videos, resources, and information on its website.

Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter said that while tradies make up almost one-third of the country’s workforce, they represent over half (51 percent) of serious claims for workers’ compensation.

“Our research shows that the most common cause of injury involves muscular stress while lifting, carrying or putting down objects and the most common type of serious claim involves traumatic joint injuries.

“In particular, the construction industry is hazardous by nature and we work collaboratively with regulators, industry, unions and the community to identify the causes of injury and finding solutions to help tradies stay safe at work,” said Ms. Baxter.

Ms. Baxter encouraged tradies to work with safety regulators to make workplaces safer.

“Ultimately, we want every tradie to go home to their family, free from harm,” she said.