This tradies national health month, get the right tools for the job

Free tools and resources for leaders in trade based industries

August is Tradies National Health Month, an initiative run by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) to raise awareness about the importance of tradies health and wellbeing.

Hazardous manual handling is the most common cause of injury in Victorian workplaces, leading to injuries known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs include ligament and tendon damage, back injuries, sprains and hernias.

MSDs account for 30% of injuries sustained by Victorian construction workers. They can range in severity from a temporary strain, right up to debilitating injuries. They can end careers, impair a person's physical and mental health and their quality of life long-term.

Falls remain one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in Victoria's construction sector:

• Over the past 10 years there have been 17 construction workers killed due to falls.
• Over the past 5 years more than 6,400 construction workers have needed workers' compensation for serious injuries from a fall; many of these injuries have been life changing.

Now more than ever, identifying risks of hazardous manual handling and falls from height should be top of mind

Get the right tools for the job by taking advantage of free programs that offer support to help you build awareness of hazardous manual handling and falls from heights.