This is true. It's also true the trades will chew you up and leave you burnt out and nearly crippled. In my experience they run through folks like they can just find another and grind whoever they have into paste. It pays well yeah, but I think I'd rather be able to walk like I used to
Me too. Exposure to chemicals and physical stress from skilled labor are considered to be the trigger by my doctor for my very aggressive autoimmune disease that crippled me at 28 and continues to 15 years later.
Depends on the job. Electrician has basically no heavy lifting. Mason? Absolutely.
I mean, the list kinda goes on. Sure, the conduit guys aren't breaking their back, but they're pretty casual in the lift til someone falls out. The guys that do garage floors will be on oxygen in their mid-50's. I know a couple master cabinet makers who can't count to ten.
And absolutely a lot of it can be mitigated (wear your fucking respirator) but the problem with this kind of work as a rule is the damage is additive. You have an expiration date for this kind of work that often falls shy of what the soft hands would consider normal.
I don't know. I think we are in dire need of folks willing to do the hard work of keeping shit running. I love being self-sufficient in a world of services, or being a help to a neighbor in over their head. But those industries need to recognize that 60 hour weeks not counting commute make people unable to live, so they eventually jump careers or take a tumble they can't get back up from
This is true. It's also true the trades will chew you up and leave you burnt out and nearly crippled. In my experience they run through folks like they can just find another and grind whoever they have into paste. It pays well yeah, but I think I'd rather be able to walk like I used to
Me too. Exposure to chemicals and physical stress from skilled labor are considered to be the trigger by my doctor for my very aggressive autoimmune disease that crippled me at 28 and continues to 15 years later.
Depends on the job. Electrician has basically no heavy lifting. Mason? Absolutely.
I mean, the list kinda goes on. Sure, the conduit guys aren't breaking their back, but they're pretty casual in the lift til someone falls out. The guys that do garage floors will be on oxygen in their mid-50's. I know a couple master cabinet makers who can't count to ten. And absolutely a lot of it can be mitigated (wear your fucking respirator) but the problem with this kind of work as a rule is the damage is additive. You have an expiration date for this kind of work that often falls shy of what the soft hands would consider normal. I don't know. I think we are in dire need of folks willing to do the hard work of keeping shit running. I love being self-sufficient in a world of services, or being a help to a neighbor in over their head. But those industries need to recognize that 60 hour weeks not counting commute make people unable to live, so they eventually jump careers or take a tumble they can't get back up from
More Rosie the Riveter less Karen from HR.