The complete guide to tradie injuries
Trades are physical work done at pace, often at height, usually with something heavy, sharp or live in your hands. Skill reduces the risk enormously but it doesn't remove it, and the numbers show that even on well-run sites, people get hurt.
When they do, the first few minutes matter more than almost anything that follows. Good first aid on site can be the difference between a few days off and a few months, and occasionally between a serious injury and a fatal one.
This is a practical guide to the five most common tradie injuries in Australia and how to manage each one.
What you need know about worksite injuries
SafeWork SA's construction data gives a clear picture of where the risk actually sits. Four mechanisms account for the overwhelming majority of construction injuries in South Australia:
Body stressing - 31%
Being hit by a moving object - 20%
Falls, trips and slips - 19%
Hitting objects with part of the body - 16%
Nationally, construction recorded around 17,600 serious workers' compensation claims in 2023–24. The median time off work was 8.4 weeks.
None of that is a reflection on the trade. It's a reflection of the environment: heavy materials, moving objects, heights, power tools and sometimes hot conditions, often all on the same site on the same day. The risk comes with the work, which is exactly why onsite first aid capability matters so much in this industry.
1. Muscle, back and tendon injuries
Body stressing is the single largest cause of construction injuries in South Australia. Around 70% of these claims come from muscular stress while lifting, carrying or putting something down, and more than 90% result in a traumatic joint, ligament, muscle or tendon injury.
Common causes are the ones you'd expect. Sheet materials, bagged product, awkward lifts in tight spaces, and repetitive loading over a long day.
2. Cuts, lacerations and serious bleeding
Being hit by a moving object (20%) and hitting objects with part of the body (16%) together cause more than a third of construction injuries. Nearly half of hit by a moving object injuries result in wounds, lacerations, amputations or internal organ damage; for hitting objects with part of the body, it's 78%. Hands and fingers are the most commonly affected.
First aid management for non life-threatening and life-threatening bleeding
Apply firm, direct pressure on or around the wound. This is the most effective way to stop most bleeding
If blood soaks through, apply a second pad and bandage more firmly over the top rather than removing the first
Lie the person down and restrict movement of the bleeding limb
If an object is embedded in the wound, leave it in place. Apply padding and pressure either side of it.
For life-threatening bleeding
A limb amputated or partially amputated above the wrist or ankle, or bleeding not controlled by direct pressure.
Control of the bleeding takes priority over airway and breathing. Apply an arterial tourniquet approximately 5cm above the bleeding point (if trained to do so), note the time, and leave it visible and uncovered for paramedics.
Then monitor for shock - pale, clammy skin, a rapid pulse, altered consciousness. Keep the person warm and lying flat, and give them nothing to eat or drink.
3. Fractures, head injuries and falls
Falls, trips and slips cause 19% of construction injuries in South Australia. Just over half are same-level falls and around 42% are falls from height.
First aid management for head injuries
Stop the activity and move the person to safety, minimising spinal movement.
Check response and breathing. If unresponsive and not breathing normally, commence CPR.
Call an ambulance for any loss of consciousness or altered consciousness, worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, neck pain, or a penetrating head injury.
Keep the airway clear and control any bleeding with direct pressure.
Anyone who has sustained a head injury, including a minor one, should be assessed by a health professional before returning to work.
First aid management of harness suspension trauma
This one is specific to height work and worth knowing well. When a worker is left suspended in a fall-arrest harness, blood pools in the legs and blood pressure drops. It can cause loss of consciousness after around 10 minutes of suspension.
Call an ambulance immediately and rescue the person as quickly as it is safe to do so.
Lay them flat as soon as they are free, and loosen or remove the harness.
Check for associated injuries from the fall.
Monitor response and breathing, and manage as per CPR guidelines if they become unresponsive.
4. Crush injuries
Crush injuries occur when a limb or the body is compressed: a load shifting, plant or materials pinning a worker, a trench collapse, or a person trapped under their own body weight following a fall.
First aid management of a crush injury
• Ensure your own safety and the safety of others first.
• Call 000.
• Remove all crushing forces as soon as it is safe to do so, immediately, without delay.
• Control any external bleeding and treat other injuries.
• Prevent or treat hypothermia and monitor the person continuously.
• If unconscious and breathing normally, place them in the recovery position.
Do not routinely apply a tourniquet before removing the crushing force. Use one only where there is actual or anticipated life-threatening limb bleeding, and never in a way that delays freeing the person.
All crush injury casualties should be taken to hospital for immediate treatment, including crush from their own body weight, even where there are no obvious symptoms or pain.
5. Thermal, chemical and electrical burns
Burns on site come from hot works and welding, contact with hot surfaces, cement, lime and solvents, and electrical faults.
First aid management of burns
Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, as soon as practicable. Cooling can still be effective up to three hours after the burn.
Remove wet, non-adherent clothing and any rings or watches near the burn. Do not peel off clothing or material that has adhered to the skin.
Cover with a loose non-stick dressing. Clean plastic cling film laid over the burn works well. Don't wrap it around a limb, and don't use it on facial burns.
Keep the rest of the person warm, as prolonged cooling can cause hypothermia.
Never apply ice, ice water, lotions, ointments, creams or powders.
Chemical burns are managed differently. The aim is to dilute the chemical rather than cool the burn. Flush with running water for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour, until the stinging stops. Brush dry powdered chemicals off the skin first and remove contaminated clothing. Check the Safety Data Sheet and contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. Never attempt to neutralise an acid or alkali burn with another chemical.
For electrical burns, isolate the power without touching the person. For high voltage, stay at least 10 metres clear and notify emergency services immediately. Cool the burn for at least 20 minutes once safe, and commence CPR if required. Electrical burns always warrant medical assessment, as internal damage is often more extensive than what's visible.
Call an ambulance for burns greater than 10% of total body surface area, burns to the face, hands, feet or genitals, full-thickness burns, and all electrical and chemical burns.
Eye injuries
Eye injuries are common across the trades from grinding and cutting debris, dust, and chemical splash. Optometry Australia reports that up to 90% of eye injuries are preventable, and around 60% of eye injuries occur in the workplace, at a direct cost to Australia of more than $155 million a year.
Chemical splash: flush the eye with cool running water for at least 20 minutes and seek urgent medical care.
Embedded object: do not attempt to remove it and don't allow the person to rub the eye. Cover and seek immediate medical care.
Foreign body or dust: flush gently with saline or clean water. If irritation persists, seek medical advice.
Building your site's first aid capability
Trained first aiders. Safe Work Australia's guidance for high-risk workplaces such as construction sites is one trained first aider for every 25 workers, and a first aid room where there are 100 or more workers on site. In a remote high-risk workplace like a mine, there should be one first aider for every 10 workers.
A kit that matches the risk. A workplace must have at least one first aid kit that should be in a location where all workers can see and access it quickly, where there is a higher risk of injury or illness and inside work vehicles if workers travel for their job.
Certificates that are current. CPR needs refreshing every 12 months and the full first aid certificate every three years. Skills fade well before the certificate expires, which is the real reason for the interval.
Get your team first aid trained
We come to you at no extra charge, and we run a blended option so your crew completes the theory online and only loses a couple of hours on the tools rather than a full day. Get In touch and we’ll sort a session where what you learn actually sticks.
FAQs
What is the most common injury for tradies?
Body stressing: back, shoulder, muscle and tendon injuries from lifting, carrying and putting down materials. It causes around 31% of construction injuries in South Australia, more than any other mechanism.
How long should you cool a burn for?
At least 20 minutes under cool running water, as soon as practicable after the burn. ANZCOR notes cooling can remain effective up to three hours afterwards. Never use ice, and never apply creams or ointments.
Should you remove a crushing force or wait for the ambulance?
Remove all crushing forces as soon as it is safe to do so, without delay. Call 000 and ensure the person goes to hospital regardless of how well they appear, including where the crush was from their own body weight.
Should you remove an object embedded in a wound?
No. Never. Apply padding and pressure either side of the object and let hospital staff remove it.
How many first aiders does a construction site need?
Safe Work Australia recommends one trained first aider for every 25 workers at a high-risk workplace such as a construction site, and a first aid room where there are 100 or more workers.
Which first aid course do tradies need?
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid is the standard qualification for workplace first aiders. CPR (HLTAID009) needs refreshing every 12 months and the full first aid certificate every three years.
Learn more workplace first aid
For more information about site working conditions and your first aid requirements:
Get in touch to book in your CPR and first aid with us.
Sources
ANCOR Guideline 9.1.1 First Aid for Management of Bleeding
ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.4 - First Aid Management of Head Injury
ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.5 - First Aid Management of Harness Suspension Trauma
ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.7 - First Aid Management of Crush Injury
ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.3 - First Aid Management for Burns
The information provided in this blog offers general insights only. The content is not intended to serve as medical advice and if you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 000 immediately.