Mental health in construction, although improved in the last 20 years still needs some work. One construction worker takes their own life every day in the UK, according to data from the office of national statistics. Despite the irony of relying on these individuals to support a roof over our heads, they are the least supported workers when it comes to mental health and statistically, it has one of the highest suicide rates per industry in the UK.
Health and Safety on site is a huge subject, a lot of resource time and effort is put into the physical health of the individuals working on a construction site. Safety equipment talks, manual handling and lifting techniques alongside consistent reminders to wear safety equipment. But what about the safety inside the hard hat?
What are the main causes of poor mental health in the construction industry?
Unfortunately, the construction industry is still very male-dominated, with the majority of the work being physical labour centric brings with it the perception that men who work within it are ‘tough’ dubbed the ‘macho attitude’. This highlights the challenge of these individuals asking for help if they’re struggling mentally.
Job security is one of the most significant causes of mental health problems within the industry. Due to the nature of the job, workers are often employed on a short-term basis on-site projects which in turn poses a worry of when their next job will come, particularly because of zero-hour contracts.
It’s no secret that financial issues cause stress, anxiety, and depression in any walk of life and with individuals working in construction being self-employed (53% to be exact) it becomes a bigger issue. Bill Hill, chief executive of the mental health charity Lighthouse Club says: ‘there are brilliant tradespeople who haven’t had an education on how to run a business. Winning a project but not putting money aside for VAT, the taxman then asks for payment, so they get finance, and it tumbles from there’.
What can be done?
Dubbed the ‘silent epidemic’ it’s so important that the mental health crisis in construction is taken seriously. Spotting behavioural changes and physical changes are the first signs to spot.
64% of construction workers want their employers to provide more support in this area. The stats are there, employers in the construction industry need to be willing to provide real and practical support to their workers. Site workers may not feel quite comfortable speaking with their GP or their friends about their mental health problems at work or at home.
We are proud to boast an incredibly strong relationship with our operatives at all levels of seniority, we provide an onboarding process and provide mental health support to every single individual we place onsite. If you’re currently an operative with us and would like support, please get in touch.