August is Tradies National Health Month and WorkSafe Victoria is providing support with free tools and resources for those working in trades-based industries.
WorkSafe is leaning into the Tradies National Health month, an initiative of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, by providing tools and resources for employers and workers through its website.
WorkSafe is highlighting two hazards in particular:
- hazardous manual handling, with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounting for 30 per cent of injuries sustained by Victorian construction workers.
- Falls from height, which 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, and 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.