Half of tradespeople experience loss of income due to workplace injury

A new study by Markel Direct, the specialist insurer of tradespeople, has highlighted the loss of earnings construction workers experience due to injuries sustained whilst at work.

The survey, which asked over 300 tradespeople, who had experienced workplace injury, about the impact of workplace injuries and illness revealed that half of respondents had lost income or a contract as a result of their injury.

Of those asked, 35 per cent miss 1-2 weeks of work a year due to work-related sickness or accidents. Based on the average day rate of £238, those that have had to take up to two weeks off work would be losing over £2,380 annually.

The study also explored the maximum amount of time tradespeople have had to take off due to an injury or illness, with the most common answer (23 per cent) being four months. Based on the same day rate, those that had to take 4 months off for an injury could have lost up to £20,508 of income in that year.

Despite the risk of injury – and accompanying income loss – in the construction industry, more than 4 in 10 tradespeople reported not having insurance to protect them against accidents on site, putting their finances and livelihood at risk.

As well as personal cost, the economic cost of workplace injury and ill health in the construction sector was estimated at £1.3 billion for the year 2021/22, according to Health and Safety England (HSE) data.

41 per cent of respondents who had experienced an injury reported that it was as a result of a third party (such as a co-worker), whilst a fifth of respondents reported not always taking the necessary health and safety measures at work, potentially putting themselves at risk of harm.

You can find the full study on the Markel Direct website