Working in a trade as a tradesperson is no easy task. There are a lot of day-to-day risks that can occur due to the nature of the job, materials used, and dangers on site. This means that there are many different types of injuries that may affect those who work in a trade, ranging from physical injuries to mental health issues. This blog will outline seven of the most common trade injuries. 

Falls  

Falls account for about 20% of all trade industry injuries. A fall can be falling, slipping, or tripping over. Ankles, backs, knees, and shoulders suffer the most from fall injuries. These types of injuries can occur from: 

  • Unmarked changes in floor levels,
  • Wet floors,
  • Obstructions and tripping hazards,
  • Damaged flooring, 
  • Poor lighting. 

If you’ve suffered from a slip, trip, or fall in your trade work you may be entitled to a claim. 

Fractures 

A fracture is bone-breaking or denting. Fractures can occur because tradespeople work with heavy power tools and equipment, which can cause serious damage in an accident. Fractures can be caused by heavy machinery and falling objects – for example, cranes, diggers, or loaders. However, fractures won’t just be caused by large objects, fractures can be caused by a small object like a hammer falling from a height. 

Wounds and lacerations

Wounds and lacerations can be caused by working with sharp objects like knives, axes, and power tools. If you are not wearing the correct protective equipment, you may be at risk of wounds and lacerations, some of which could potentially be seriously harmful or life-threatening. 

Diseases

Diseases are actually extremely common in trade settings. Diseases are a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury. A trade worker is 15x more likely to die from a work-related disease than from a workplace accident. Diseases that can cause injury include: 

  • Digestive system diseases
  • Nervous system/sense organ diseases
  • Skin/subcutaneous tissue diseases
  • Respiratory system diseases
  • Circulatory system diseases
  • Infectious and parasitic diseases

Diseases can occur when workers don’t take appropriate measures when working in potentially contaminated areas nor maintaining proper hygiene. 

Musculoskeletal disorders

According to the CDC, Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are conditions in which:

  1. The work environment and performance of work contribute significantly to the condition; 
  2. and/or the condition is made worse or persists longer due to work conditions.

According to Tradify, 90% of all serious claims were from injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. 

Industrial deafness

Industrial deafness is a hearing impairment caused by prolonged exposure to excessive noise at work. This can occur in a trade setting due to the machinery used, such as power tools, cranes, and drilling of materials like concrete. 

Mental health

Mental health is an injury caused by any type of work but is prevalent in the trade injury. Mental health includes anxiety, depression, and stress as well as many other conditions. It can be debilitating, particularly in the trade industry. Unfortunately, rates of suicide are higher than average in the trades. It’s been brought on by the combination of backbreaking physical labour and a ‘macho’ culture that tends to slam signs of weakness and vulnerability and leads to toxic masculinity. There’s a stigma surrounding mental health, particularly within the trades industries which makes it hard to speak out.

Can you make a claim if you are injured at work?

Yes, you can make a claim if you are injured at work. Workers compensation exists so that tradespeople are protected from harm while working. If you have faced an injury at work while in the trade industry, please get in contact with What’s My Claim Worth today to start your claims process. If you need more information on our compensation services, please click here.