The Empirica Research survey, done to highlight the launch of Tradies National Health Month on August 1, showed an alarming rate of injury among tradesmen.

Compared to 79 per cent of tradies reporting they take good care of their tools, just 47 per cent said they prioritised their bodies in equal measure.

A whopping 63 per cent of respondents said they had been injured in their current job, and half of that again said they expected to be injured on the job again.

The survey's findings are supported by data from Safe Work Australia, which showed 58 per cent of serious workplace injuries are sustained by tradies – three in five.

APA national president Phil Calvert said tradies are more prone to workplace injuries by the very nature of their work, and expressed concern at the relative unwillingness to seek treatment.

“Many tradies are not seeking treatment or are delaying treatment until their injury becomes a much bigger and more complex issue,” he said.

“We know that lower back pain, knee and shoulder issues are common, yet almost a quarter (22 per cent) of tradies in our survey said they didn’t seek assistance from a health professional for their injury, which led to a longer recovery time or chronic injury.”

Warming up before work, stretching and learning proper lifting techniques are among the strategies Mr Calvert said could help reduce injuries at work.

Of some concern though, was a prevailing attitude that such injuries were simply part of the job, combined with nearly a quarter of respondents reluctant to speak up about injuries.

“Too many tradies are living with the attitude that injuries come part and parcel with the job, but that just doesn’t have to be the case,” he said.

“Early treatment from a physio is effective in reducing, relieving and eliminating a range of musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain and soft tissue injuries, as well as help with more complex health problems in consultation with a tradie’s own GP.”