This International Nurses Day (12 May), Blue Light Card reveals that nurses are walking the length of a marathon every week on shift. Some frontline workers are clocking up 33,000 steps per shift, according to a new study which highlights just how far the blue light community goes every day to keep the nation safe. For comparison, most Brits walk between 3,000-4,000 steps, or 1.5 miles, per day.
The research was conducted by Blue Light Card, the UK’s leading specialist discount service for emergency services, NHS and social care workers. The company asked its members to reveal how many steps they racked up during a recent work week, by monitoring their smartwatch, pedometer or phone’s step counter.
The top sectors which logged the highest step count on average are:
| Position | Sector | Average steps taken per week | Average miles walked per week | Estimated time on feet per week |
| 1 | Firefighting | 80,843 | 35.58 | 11.8 hours |
| 2 | Prison officer | 70,598 | 31.07 | 10.3 hours |
| 3 | Health care assistants | 63,504 | 28.95 | 9.3 hours |
| 4 | Nursing | 59,657 | 26.25 | 8.7 hours |
| 5 | Upper management | 59,226 | 26.06 | 8.6 hours |
| 6 | NHS scientists | 58,160 | 25.60 | 8.5 hours |
| 7 | Police Officers | 54,782 | 24.11 | 8 hours |
| 8 | Social care workers | 54,636 | 24.05 | 8 hours |
| 9 | Administration | 53,767 | 23.66 | 7.8 hours |
| 10 | Pharmacist | 47,885 | 21.07 | 7 hours |
Tom Dalby, CEO at Blue Light Card, commented: “Each and everyday UK emergency services, NHS and social care workers work incredibly hard, while coping with physical demands many of us can’t even imagine and this study really highlights all their tireless efforts. We’re incredibly thankful to the whole blue light community for all they do for the nation. We decided to conduct this research to enable the British public to step into the shoes of blue light workers, and provide them with a better understanding of just how far, both mentally and physically, frontline workers go every single day to protect our communities.”
For more information about Blue Light Card, visit https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk/
