Mental health

Eleanor Eaton is managing director at health and safety consultancy CQMS Ltd As the construction industry faces ever-growing demands and pressures, the mental health of its workers is a rising concern. Health and safety procedures – typically focused on preventing physical injury – are critically linked to safeguarding the mental…

Sarah Bolton is chief executive of Lighthouse Charity As we mark World Suicide Prevention Day, I am conscious that there will be a huge focus on what could or should be done to support our industry’s workforce. Greater awareness of some of the issues can only be a positive thing.…

Georgina Jones is deputy chief executive of charity SOS Silence of Suicide The new Labour government’s target of building 1.5 million homes over five years has been welcomed in many quarters, but what does this really mean for the welfare of construction workers in an industry that is already encountering…

Darren Brooks is head of technical and design at offsite manufacturer Premier Modular The national picture of mental health remains concerning, with one in six people in England experiencing a common mental health problem in any given week. Increasingly, the impact of the built environment on mental health is becoming…

Lisa Kerford is managing director of Aptus Our industry is an inherently dangerous one, which means adhering to the highest possible health and safety standards is of paramount importance. Every day, organisations across our sector are dealing with sites, schemes and projects that require rigorous protocols to ensure tasks are…

Richard Stockley is the managing director of health and safety consultancy RRC International The Factories Act of 1833 kickstarted a culture of health and safety in the UK, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act. But construction workers aren’t just risking their…

The leadership of three of construction’s biggest charities is changing as two industry stalwarts announce their retirement. Lighthouse chief executive Bill Hill will retire at the end of this week, after more than a decade at the helm of the wellbeing support charity. CRASH boss Francesca Roberts, in charge since…

A council has announced it will consider the mental health policies of construction companies during procurement, in a bid to tackle the industry’s high suicide rate. Halton Borough Council, near Liverpool, will now require main contractors to outline in their bids for jobs how they will look after the mental…

The industry’s high suicide rate is prompting calls for mental health to be written into construction deals While working as a quantity surveyor, Marc Preston once witnessed a fire that caused millions of pounds of damage. Yet it was not the sight of the dramatic blaze that stuck with him…

Simon Harris is senior director of operations for recruitment firm Randstad’s construction and property team in the UK Construction employees who suffer work-related stress may sue their employers for disability discrimination – even if they have not been diagnosed with a mental illness by a doctor. That’s what a recent…