Mental health awareness highlighted by construction industry

Construction industry canvassed about its efforts to combat mental health.

Last week was the 16th annual Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), with a focus on mindfulness.

In those years, MHAW has been successful in generating public debates focusing on the effects of anxiety, sleep deprivation and exercise can have on mental health.

But what of the construction industry? Mike Petter, Chairman of the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme (CCS), told UK Construction Media that general figures suggest one in six of the population are living with a mental health issue. “There is no reason to expect that the construction industry is significantly different,” he said.

UK Construction Media has looked at what the industry is doing to combat mental health and the signs are extremely encouraging.

CCS has recently produced a leaflet to raise awareness with site teams.

Titled ‘spotlight on mental health’, the initiative focuses on how mental health can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnicity and can cause both personal and work-related stress, anxiety and depression.

The issue of mental health is one that could have a considerable impact on the industry, with work demands to meet deadlines and risks involved in completing jobs as quickly as possible being ways in which the likelihood of mental health issues can be increased.

The leaflet from CCS will help in the fight against these risks by making sure employers recognise the problems and support employees with guidance and awareness.

CCS has see a number of construction companies using such methods when on construction sites, supporting employees with any potential mental health issues. Galliford Try, ISG, Bouygues, A-one+, Jehu Group Ltd, Simons Group, and UKCG to name a few, have all used initiatives to remove the stigma of mental health while raising awareness around the sector.

Elsewhere, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) Yorkshire and Humberside used last week to announce its first health leadership briefing on mental health and the construction industry, which will take place at Leeds Beckett University on 9th June.

The UK already has one of the safest construction industries in the world thanks to greater awareness on the importance of safety.

Having established these measures, the industry is focusing on the health of its workforce.

The event is the first in a series of health leadership briefings in which CIC Yorkshire and Humberside will raise awareness of many key issues, beginning with mental health and the construction industry.

Stefanie Stead, Chair of the CIC Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “In these economically and environmentally challenging times, following a deep and protracted global downturn, during which construction shed a great many skilled jobs which it is now struggling to replace, we must be mindful of the pressures and strains on the workforce.

“Mental health is as important as physical health to the wellbeing of our industry. This event has ben organised to raise awareness of mental health issues on the industry’s health & safety agenda.”

Meanwhile the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) told UK Construction Media that the information sector is speaking with the industry about developing work around mental health, which would most likely be delivered through the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) Health Working Group.

This is in the early stages of formation but shows another part of the industry’s commitment to raise awareness of mental health and tackle any issues that may arise.

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