In September I attended a course for Suicide Prevention. The reason being we loose 2 people every day in construction.
More needs to be done
The training over 2 days was very intense but I learnt so much and all the ways to support people in need moving forward.
New studies show that there has been an unfortunate increase in the rate of suicide deaths in the construction industry.
The information in this article has been taken from the Construction News – “Increase in suicide rate shows site workers still need to be reached’’ article and the Mates in Mind website.
The findings from the data show that there has been a change in the historical ratios with those who work in the construction sector. It remains that the construction sector workers are three times more likely to take their own life than in other sectors.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity Support
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has launched several new initiatives to try and reach out to more people, these new initiatives are:
- ‘Help Inside the hard hat’ awareness campaign, which encourages people to consider mental wellbeing and signposts
- Lighthouse Beacons, which is a nationwide network of ‘safe places’ being set up where those who are in the industry can talk in trust to others.
- Supporting Apprentices – this is a pilot scheme that aims to change a positive appreciation of mental wellbeing with those that are starting out in the industry. The charity is going to provide awareness training to 1,000 apprentices. As well as this they are also working closely with the Rainy Day Trust to provide free tools and aid those who are struggling with their apprentices because they cannot afford the items needed.
- Mind Builder – This is a project to connect people in the industry with their wellbeing.
The Lighthouse Charity also have a construction industry helpline which can be called free 24 hour a day, 7 days a week. 0345 605 1956 in the UK or 112 in the Republic of Ireland.
Mates in Mind
Bernard Sims Associates are a supporter of the Mates in Mind Charity. Mates in Mind specialise in supporting the construction and transport & logistics industries with mental wellbeing as well as supporting businesses with their wellbeing culture by providing coaching and guidance.
About Mates in Mind
During their first two years they were able to help hundreds of organisations within the construction sector to transform the mental health culture of their workplaces. Through their tailored programme, they have been able to support organisations of all sizes to start conversations about mental health.
Due to our successes within the construction sector, we have gained recognition across a range of industries.
Mates in Mind run a supporter programme which consists of four key elements:
1) To educate and inform the workforce.
2) To support organisations in creating the right programme for them.
3) To visibly support the framework throughout organisations with relevant and accessible communication materials.
4) To help build an evidence base.
Recently I have seen the Lighthouse Charity on the road and visiting many sites in the UK and carrying out many training sessions for site workers on mental health and suicide prevention. The results have been amazing.
This subject is very close to my heart and I love carrying out tool box talks to my contractors on site.
