Is Being an Electrician Hard on Your Body?

It’s normal to want to know everything about a career you're interested in - all the pros and all the cons - so that you can make an informed decision on what it is you want to do. One thing to consider before you take up a new trade (electrical work, for instance) is the physical effect that your new job might have on your body.

The good news is that being an electrician isn't too hard on your body - there are numerous jobs, including some trade jobs, that take a far harsher physical toll on those who do them.

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However, this doesn’t mean that being an electrician is always easy going. If you ask electricians who have been in the business a long time, they will probably tell you they have experienced some discomfort in their knees and back.

This isn’t too surprising, as being an electrician often means crouching, kneeling and bending to reach the electrical installations you're supposed to be working on. With that in mind, it's important to take certain precautions; electricians should stretch often and consider investing in knee pads to wear while working. It's also good practice, as in any line of work, to take breaks and refrain from putting too much stress on your body outside of working hours.

Generally speaking, though, being an electrician doesn't come with any major risks to your long-term physical health (excluding the potential for electrical shocks, which you can read about here). In many ways, a relatively active job like electrical work is preferable to a job that has you parked in front of a computer all day - the dangers of sitting down for long periods of time are well-documented, and this isn't something you'll have to worry about too often when you're working as an electrician, zipping from one job to the next all day long.

You can train to become a professional electrician by completing one of our electrical courses. For more advice on which course best suits you, feel free to get in touch with the Access Training team.

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