Three out of four construction workers have symptoms that indicate vibration damage, according to a survey conducted by the construction trade union.
This is now the most common work-related illness in the industry, and according to the union, it is increasingly younger people who are affected.
Two years ago, when Peter Karlsson was out riding his motorcycle, he discovered that his hands were going numb.
– Then I understood that something was wrong. I sought help and was told that I had vibration damage, he says.
The years with tools like tiger saws and hammer drills meant that Peter was finally unable to continue his regular job. The company he works for helped him get new tasks, but there is concern that the problems will increase.
– Of course you are worried, of course. There are people who are just over 50 years old who can’t clean their shoes or button their own trousers, and you don’t want to get there.
Most common occupational disease among men
According to AFA insurance, vibration injuries are the most common occupational disease among men in Sweden, and when the Construction trade union checked with 4,500 of its members, three out of four stated that they had symptoms that indicate vibration injuries – and the union is most concerned that as many as 60 percent of those who are younger than 30 years already had problems.
– We actually didn’t expect it to be this bad. Here we have 30-year-olds who are damaged for life due to a lack of knowledge but also because they do not get the health examinations they should get, says Lars Hildingsson, acting chairman of Byggnads.
And it is precisely the health examination to find early signs of vibration damage that Byggnads believes should be mandatory.
– It must cost money for the employers if they do not follow this. Therefore, we also propose that penalty fees should be introduced if one does not offer it.
“There is a certain macho culture in the industry”
Peter Karlsson is grateful that he works for a company that helped him when he could no longer perform his usual duties. But he also believes that it is important to also train young, new construction workers in the importance of rotating and not standing too long with the same machine.
– There is a certain macho culture in this industry, perhaps. You don’t always listen.