# Longevity



## smiley mcrib (Sep 25, 2011)

wear knee pads, lift with your knees not your back, if you wear tool bags get hip buddies and suspenders. always check and recheck for voltage, practice safety 24/7. i'm sure some of the more seasoned guys have stuff but that is the majority of it. be safe on ladders and don't do anything stupid. :thumbup:


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## duramaxdarren (Sep 12, 2012)

drink concrete and harden then f%$&k up! Tuck in your skirt and rub motor oil on mere flesh wounds!


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Keep fit but if you push yourself to extremes, you might find that the body has some finite wear areas such as knees, hips, shoulders and spine. The long term plan should be like moderation, somewhere between the tortoise and the hare.

Also, be a bit diversified. Learn an estimating program even if its just youtube stuff. also, be the guy that can handle the paperwork if necessary. A smart contractor is always on the lookout for a rising star.
. If you are a young guy, you might get more of the duct bank and slab work. Work smart and get into the habit of looking at the whole picture if you are in a position to. This will make you more productive electrician when you are older.

Understand that you are only a ladder fall away from being out of the physical part of the trade. Have a back up plan. This may include getting and maintaining licensing and advanced training.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Duker-Dave said:


> Hello everyone! Im not quite into the trade yet but I was wondering about what (if) there are any ways you can increase your longevity in the electrical trade as far as physical health goes? Im 26 years old.
> 
> I keep hearing about bad knees, back, shoulders and other physical nags that arise from years in the trade. Im a very active person (avid cyclist, novice cross-country mt. bike racing) and I just want to hold on to my passion for bikes for as long as I can  maybe move to the Colorado Rockies when I get settled in as a journeyman. Also want to volunteer as a firefighter, which requires tip top physical health.
> 
> Thanks much for future replys


Some guys are tough and can handle it well into their 60's, I do notice that its never large guys that are still on the tools at that age.


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## n5i5ken (Jun 5, 2011)

*longevity*

Hello: Im 65 and still active in our trade-- climb in and out of the bucket at the back of my truck everyday, up and down ladders still like the young guys. I have found use moderation and most of all DONT DO STUPID THINGS.
Thanks
Ken


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## Jdglen42 (Nov 5, 2010)

I was that 26 year old electrician that thought I could do anything. Worked hard, not smart. Now at 49, with bad knees, two spinal fusions, a spinal disc replacement, and more spinal surgeries in the near future. I can't stress enough proper lifting and bending. As electricians, we are constantly moving quickly to try and make money for our bosses and ourselves. Sometimes taking that little extra step can prolong your career so you can enjoy your retirement pain free.


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## Duker-Dave (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks for all the replys so far, Im just concerned that this career would inable me to do the things I love to do outside of work, like compete as a cyclist, Im also concerned that it would cause me an early retirement from this passion due to physical ailments associated with the job later on down the road. Does the primary grunt work end with apprenticeship? digging ditches, pulling cable, drilling through concrete etc. and change as a journeyman?, thanks again.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

if you are afraid to get beat up on the job, get into another trade. make cup cakes or something.


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## Rochsolid (Aug 9, 2012)

Duker-Dave said:


> Thanks for all the replys so far, Im just concerned that this career would inable me to do the things I love to do outside of work, like compete as a cyclist, Im also concerned that it would cause me an early retirement from this passion due to physical ailments associated with the job later on down the road. Does the primary grunt work end with apprenticeship? digging ditches, pulling cable, drilling through concrete etc. and change as a journeyman?, thanks again.


digging trenches, pulling cable, drilling through concrete, all comes with the trade. And as you get farther along in your career this old saying really starts to make sense "if you want something done right, do it yourself"

Unless you open your own company hahaha


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## Duker-Dave (Oct 21, 2012)

wildleg said:


> if you are afraid to get beat up on the job, get into another trade. make cup cakes or something.


I saw that coming


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Take some project management classes .


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

I don't think being an electrician is any harder on the body than any other physically demanding job.

You probally have as much of a chance injuring yourself with the cycling that you do.


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

chit wears out....the body can only take so much...you have to stay in shape for sure...but I have seen lots of accidents over my 32 years... trips, slips, falls....it happens all the time and can end the career of anyone...work smart...and be careful....I have seen and fallen off ladders fallen in holes....tripped a thousand times....construction or plant work is dangerous business....you will get hurt....period..its part of the job...like any blue collar gig....good luck be careful.:thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Work hard, make your boss a bunch of money, die young. The american dream.


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## nervous (Nov 13, 2012)

Wear ear plugs! Nothing worse than hearing that annoying ringing 24/7. I hear the ringing and I've been wearing the ear plugs when needed for 10 years now. I should have started sooner.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

TOOL_5150 said:


> Work hard, make your boss a bunch of money, die young. The american dream.


"Thats a nice beamer boss"

"Well, if you keep working hard, keep your head down and your blinkers on, Ill be able to get a new one next year"


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

n5i5ken said:


> Hello: Im 65 and still active in our trade-- climb in and out of the bucket at the back of my truck everyday, *up and down ladders still like the young guys*. I have found use moderation and most of all DONT DO STUPID THINGS.
> Thanks
> Ken


...or a least you would like to think so:blink:


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

Dont jump off of anything taller than a rug.


Climb off of ladders and scaffolding.


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## Duker-Dave (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks for the reply's so far, keep em comin, What about carrying tools in a bucket as opposed to hauling them on a belt, will that help the back in the long run? I've also heard to put on knee pads or use a kneeling pad no matter what, even if its just for a few minutes. Are there any other preventative maintainence tips that keep the body on the up&up in the long run?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

don't make donuts your breakfast cereal of choice

don't drink stuff that gives you kidney stones and gout later in life (redbull, too much coffee and soda, etc)

don't get between any piece of machinery and a stationary object where you have even the remotest chance of getting crushed, cause if you put yourself in harms way, it will happen. 

it took me a few emergencies and building evacuations for me to get serious about safety, but it pays to be proactive about it and avoid failure. I can't tell you how many guys I've met that are missing fingers or eyes, or limp around on one foot because they got too close to a forklift, etc. Prepping for things, doing your homework, and planning for failure just in case can protect you, your coworkers, and the company you work for from even worse things. If you are going to be working around live sprinkler heads, for example, know where the shut off valves are and make sure the valve room is open. this is all simple stuff but so often overlooked causing damage to be much greater than "it could have" been. and the same goes for personnel safety.


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

Stay fit...I am 22 years in trade and let my self go a few times.....extra weight kills your knees and back


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

Tonedeaf said:


> Stay fit...I am 22 years in trade and let my self go a few times.....extra weight kills your knees and back


exactly. this is no easy task in a drive thru world. i have let myself get heavy a couple times as well. the taller you are, the more important it is to surround your joints with muscle. the more flexible those muscles are, the more protected from injury they are.

let the tools do the work. do not be a bull in a china shop. the real old guys (pre-cordless drill) have a lot more arthritis. and the guys before them (that are still alive) have even more. when i first started i worked with a guy that started with a brace and bit. he said that, back then, guys would have huge dominant arms from turning the drill.

i worked with a guy who had a parable about it... two bulls are on a hill looking down on a herd of cows... the younger bull says "let's run down there and **** one of those cows" the older bull says "lets WALK down there and **** all those cows" you can also say work SMART not HARD.

i do not wear knee pads (i am too stubborn and proud), but it is also a good idea.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm forty something years old.....been around the trade for 20+ years and have injured myself a few times. Broken ankle; broken wrist, injured back,numerous cuts requiring stitches and I'm currently at home recovering from an umbilical hernia surgery. 
All these stupid injuries are from working too damn hard all the time......I work hard like that at work, I work hard like that at home. I lifted,pushed,pulled or shoved anything that needed to be moved or bent or whatever to get the damn job done. It's just my nature.
After all those stupid injuries......the BEST advice I can give is something thats already been said, learn lots of the management/supervision side of things. 

Contractors are always looking for the guy who can run things on the site, can do the paperwork side of it, can handle the business aspect of things. It's way easier on the body than the physical part of the job and the pay is usually a little better. 

Remember too that are a lot of guys out there who can run the jobs, handle the paperwork and such but who just don't WANT to do it. Lots of guys just want to do their days work...then go home and forget about it. If you do think about the supervision side of things......you have to learn to like it.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I'm 49, doing it for over 30.
I drink massive amounts of coffee, eat chocolate donuts a lot and do not drink. I am in good shape and can get into places a cat can't reach.
My only problems is a bad back & neck. Some of that is genetics and most of it is labor. Some of the back problems are from military service.
Get help with the heavy stuff when you can. Enjoy what you do and remember,, 33 makes a great bandaid.


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