Yahoo Finance Bleak issue costing Aussie tradies $4,144 a year: 'Won't be able to do the job'
Nine in 10 tradies have experienced work-related injuries in the last year, with one in two living in severe pain.
A staggering number of tradies are suffering injuries while on the job and it could spell disaster at a time when the industry is facing a huge shortage of workers. A new study from the Australian Physiotherapy Association found nine in 10 tradies have suffered work-related injuries and half are living in severe pain.
A quarter of tradies surveyed fear they will need to retire early because of the stress the job puts on their bodies. Landscaper Jake Oldfield is one of those tradies.
The 40-year-old has worked in the industry for more than 15 years after completing a mature-age apprenticeship and told Yahoo Finance he worries about his future given the labour-intensive nature of his job.
“Landscaping is very physical and a lot of labour intensive work so a lot of digging, lifting pavers and continual effort and repetition,” Oldfield said.
“It does take a bit of a toll on your body. I’ve found specifically if I’m paving for a whole week and you’ll be down your haunches, leaning forward and getting back up.”
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The Albury Wodonga business owner said he experiences “niggling little injuries and general tightness and soreness”, especially in his lower back and shoulders which he goes to a physiotherapist for.
The dad-of-two said he loves the physical nature of the work but does worry that it could mean he has to pivot his career in the future.
“I was 40 this month and in 10, 20 years time I probably won’t still be as effective or able to do the job, which is something I think of,” he told Yahoo Finance.
“I’ve put a few things in place like I can use machines, so an excavator or skid steer. So I’m hoping I can still be involved in the industry but obviously just in a different facet.”
Are you a tradie with a story to tell? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com
Injuries costing tradies $4,000
Research from hipages found injuries were leading to tradies downing tools for 11 days annually and suffering a potential loss of income of up to $4,144 a year.
Electricians and builders were the most likely to be injured at work, with muscular strains, pulls and tears the most common injuries, followed by cuts and scrapes.
Heavy diesel mechanic Ashley Belteky told Yahoo Finance she’s noticed a bigger focus on safety in her industry in recent years.
As a smaller person, she said she has learnt how to do the job differently including by using tools and equipment.
“It’s very much about safe manual handling practices and using tools instead of acting like you have the strength to do anything,” she said.
Master Builders Australia has warned the building and construction sector needs 480,000 extra workers by the end of 2026 to build enough homes for our growing population. Meanwhile, BuildSkills Australia says we need 90,000 new tradies to meet the government’s housing target.
Despite a big workforce of 1.35 million, the industry has an annual exit rate of 8 per cent and is currently only replacing about half of those losses.
The government pledged more than $90 million in the 2024 budget to fund an extra 20,000 fee-free TAFE places to boost the chronic shortage.
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