People who work in trades are the backbone of Alberta’s economy, taking on physically demanding jobs that require skill, strength and attention to detail. Whether you’re a plumber, carpenter, electrician or another skilled professional, your work often involves heavy lifting, repetitive motions and long hours spent in awkward positions. While this hard work contributes to your business’ success, it also comes with risks. Injuries are a common reality for those in the trades and can have serious consequences—not just for your physical health but also for the financial health of your business. Injury prevention isn’t just about avoiding pain—it’s about protecting your ability to work and earn a living
Protecting your ability to work
For independent contractors or small business owners in the trades, an injury can have devastating financial consequences. If you’re unable to work due to an injury:
- You stop earning money during recovery periods.
- Projects get delayed or cancelled, potentially damaging client relationships.
- You may need to hire temporary help at extra cost.
These setbacks can quickly add up, putting stress on both your personal finances and your business operations. By taking proactive steps to stay safe on the job, you’re not only investing in yourself, you’re also ensuring that you can continue doing what you love without interruptions.
Inexperience can lead to injury
The construction industry, which employs many skilled tradespeople, remains one of the highest-risk sectors for workplace injuries. Over 55% of Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) claims in Alberta’s construction sector come from first-year workers, highlighting how new employees are more likely to face safety risks on the job.
Education and training are so important for trades workers who are just starting out. Learning proper safety practices, understanding workplace hazards and knowing how to use tools and equipment correctly can make a big difference in keeping new workers safe. Investing time in education early on helps build confidence, reduces risks and sets workers up for long-term success in their careers.
Watch your back
Back injuries are one of the most common problems for tradespeople due to heavy lifting, bending over repeatedly or working in awkward positions. Protecting your back is essential for staying active and avoiding downtime that could hurt both your health and your income.
According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), 21% of their accepted claims were for back, spine and spinal cord injuries.
One of the leading causes of back pain and injuries comes from improper lifting. Before lifting anything heavy:
- Assess the weight of the object and clear any obstacles from your path so you don’t have to hold it longer than necessary.
- Use your legs! Bend at the knees—not at the waist—and use the strength of your legs rather than relying on your back muscles. Keep the object close to your body as you lift to reduce strain on your spine.
- Avoid twisting. Twisting while carrying something heavy can hurt your spine. Instead of twisting at the waist, turn by moving your feet.
Whenever possible, take advantage of tools that are designed to make lifting easier.
- Use dollies or carts for moving heavy items across distances.
- Invest in hoists or cranes for lifting large materials.
- Adjustable scaffolds can help reduce bending when working on elevated surfaces.
Exercise to build strength and flexibility
A strong core supports your spine and helps prevent injuries caused by overwork or poor posture. You can build your core strength by adding exercises like planks or bridges.
Stretching is also an important part of staying injury-free in physical jobs. During break times, take a few minutes to rotate your wrists and shoulders or do stretch your leg muscles after kneeling for long periods.
Take care of your joints
Your joints—namely, your knees, wrists, and shoulders—take a lot of strain from repeated movements, like gripping tools or kneeling for long periods. If you don’t take care of them, this wear and tear can lead to joint pain or even arthritis over time.
If you spend a lot of hours kneeling while working on floors or low surfaces, be sure to use knee pads or cushioned mats whenever possible to reduce pressure on these joints during long tasks. Take breaks from kneeling by standing up or stretching every hour.
Repetitive motions like hammering nails or using screwdrivers can strain wrist joints over time. When possible, switch between hands to avoid overworking one side. You might also want to invest in ergonomic tools with padded grips that can help reduce the strain on your wrists.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Using personal protective equipment (PPE) is key to injury prevention on the job. From gloves that protect against cuts to steel-toed boots that guard against falling objects, PPE is designed with safety in mind—and it’s essential for anyone working in hazardous environments.
It may be tempting to skip PPE when a task seems quick or low-risk—but accidents happen when you least expect them.
- Always wear gloves when handling sharp tools or materials.
- Use knee pads during extended kneeling tasks.
- Wear steel-toed boots whenever there’s a risk of dropping heavy objects.
Fit is an important part of PPE safety as ill-fitting PPE won’t protect you as well as properly sized equipment.
- Gloves should fit snugly but allow for easy movement.
- Boots should provide support without pinching toes.
- Knee pads should stay secure without cutting off circulation.
And of course, damaged PPE won’t do its job correctly. Check gloves for holes before using them, replace worn-out boots with new ones and make sure the straps on your knee pads are intact.
Ensuring a safe work environment
Injury prevention isn’t just about personal habits and equipment. It’s also about making sure your workspace is safe and organized.
A cluttered environment increases the risk of trips and falls, a common cause of workplace injuries for tradespeople. Keeping tools stored neatly when they’re not being used and clearing walkways of debris or loose cables are simple but effective ways to reduce these risks. If you use workstations, make sure they’re adjusted for comfort to help prevent injuries caused by awkward postures or repetitive movements. For example, raising surfaces so you don’t have bend over as much reduces strain both the back and shoulders, and using scaffolds to reach those awkwardly high areas makes tasks easier on the body.
Health benefits for injury prevention and safety
One of the most important steps in protecting your health and your business is having the right health benefits plan. By providing access to proactive care and wellness resources, health benefits empower you and your employees to maintain physical health and reduce the risk of injuries before they occur.
Routine health check-ups covered by health benefits help workers catch small problems before they turn into bigger issues. For example, spotting joint pain or muscle strain early allows workers to get treatment quickly, preventing more serious injuries or missed work later on.
Health benefits that include services like physiotherapy, chiropractic care and massage therapy are also great for preventing injuries. These services help workers stay healthy and deal with small aches or problems before they turn into something serious.
- Physiotherapy. Regular physiotherapy sessions help workers move better, strengthen their muscles, and fix their posture. This can stop problems like strains, sprains and injuries from doing the same motions over and over.
- Chiropractic care. Chiropractors help keep your spine in the right position and ease tension caused by heavy lifting or awkward movements. This can prevent long-term back pain and joint problems.
- Massage therapy. Massage therapy helps relax tight muscles and improves blood flow. This can stop injuries from overworking the body and speed up recovery from small strains.
Don’t forget about mental health
Injury prevention and safety can help with the physical aspects of trades work but it’s not just physical issues that can take its toll. Skilled trades workers often deal with long hours and tough physical tasks, which can lead to stress and fatigue. These factors increase the chances of accidents or injuries. Health benefits that include mental health support, like counselling or stress management programs, can help workers stay focused, avoid burnout and feel ready for their workday.
Ready to invest in a health benefits plan?
Healthy employees are more productive, miss fewer days of work and are better able to perform their jobs safely. As a business owner, this means fewer delays, lower costs from injury claims and better overall performance.
If you’re ready to invest in a health benefits plan for your business, we offer tailored options to help you safeguard the wellbeing of your employees as well as your financial security. Find out how these plans can support you and your employees.
