Three quarters of tradespeople have made changes to lead a healthier lifestyle over the last year and 73% say that COVID-19 has made them more health conscious. That’s according to new research from Chadwicks Group*.
The research of over 600 tradespeople examining attitudes to health and wellness finds that while many are trying to be healthier, there is still room for improvement. Half say they don’t go for a regular health check-up and one in five admit to working through illness so they don’t fall behind on a job.
The survey was carried out to launch Chadwicks Group’s annual National Tradesperson Check (NTC) which provides customers with a free health check in branch in partnership with HealthWatch. The health screenings cover; BMI, blood pressure, and a finger-prick test gauging the total cholesterol and glucose of the patient.
Now in its second year, the NTC took place in 18 Chadwicks Group’s locations nationwide including Chadwicks, The Panelling Centre,
Cork Builders Providers and Telfords for the month of October.
According to the Chadwicks Group research, a fifth of tradespeople work a minimum of 60 hours a week and three quarters (76%) consider their occupation physically demanding.
Given the long hours and the physical nature of the job, it’s perhaps no surprise that half (49%) regularly suffer from aches and pains as a result. 77% say they have had to attend a physio for work related pain and just over two thirds (69%) have missed a day of work due to joint pain. Of those that suffer with aches and pains over half (55%) say they don’t do anything to address the issue.
To help tradespeople across Ireland manage their aches and pains, as part of this year’s NTC campaign, Chadwicks Group has teamed up with Sports Physio Ireland to create ‘Chadwicks Flexi-Time’ a short stretching routine designed specifically for tradespeople.
Chadwicks Flexi-Time consists of five bitesize videos which are available on the Chadwicks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Each video has been designed specifically to address the issues tradespeople face and can be done at any time of the day to help alleviate muscle tension. Patrick Atkinson, CEO of Chadwicks Group said: “This is the second year of our National Tradesperson Check and we are delighted to expand these health checks to 18 locations across the country during the month of October. At Chadwicks Group, we understand that tradespeople are working extremely long hours and finding time to look after their health can be a challenge.
That’s why we have designed the NTC with the tradesperson in mind.”
*Online survey of 629 tradespeople in Ireland aged 18+. 56% of whom are self-employed.
