Plumbers blame poor tools for on-site injuries

(14/01/2010)

A new survey by Bahco has found that 54% of plumbers blamed inappropriate, poorly designed or uncomfortable tools as the main cause of on-site injuries. Yet, the overarching factor that plumbers consider when purchasing hand tools is not the quality of the tool, but its cost, with 57% stating that this is what they look for prior to purchase.

This differs greatly from other professional trades; builders' main focus is on the tools ease of use (43%), yet joiners base their purchasing decision on the tool brand (57%). Electricians, however, are spilt down the middle with half focusing on ease of use and the other half on brand.

Only 14% of plumbers consider the importance of ergonomic features when purchasing hand tools yet, surprisingly, over half of plumbers (57%) use tools that have been ergonomically designed. In fact, nearly two thirds of plumbers (64%) are willing to pay more for ergonomic design, which shows how highly they value the benefits.

64% of plumbers say that comfort, speed and efficiency of working are the core benefits of using ergonomically designed tools. 64% of plumbers associated the Bahco name with good ergonomic design, which is almost three times more than its nearest competitor.

However the survey also revealed that, compared to builders, fewer plumbers felt that their distributors provided advice on ergonomic tools. Only 29% of plumbers stated that their distributors advised them compared to 44% of builders. This highlights the need for more product information and advice to be provided by plumbing distributors when selling hand tools.

Kevin Parkes, Customer Care Centre Manager at Bahco, said: "These results illustrate that good quality tools ensure high quality of work. Each time a plumber grips a tool 42 muscles are being put to work. By subjecting themselves to the strain this causes daily plumbers risk overexertion, pain or numbness in parts of their hands. That's why ergonomically designed tools are essential part of any plumber's toolkit."

For further details on Bahco's range of hand tools contact SNA Europe.

Related categories:  Tools