THE Association for Project Safety (APS) is spearheading a UK-wide campaign to promote mental health and wellbeing within the construction industry.
The organisation is taking its campaign to Westminster and the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales.
A launch event was organised to promote construction industry mental health awareness held at the Scottish Parliament. Speaking at the event, host and mental awareness campaigner, Sue Webber MSP, a Conservative shadow cabinet secretary, spoke of the need for employers and individuals to prioritise mental health awareness and provide support where it is needed.
She said, “There are two construction related suicides every day, according to recent construction statistics in the UK published by HSC. It also cites they are more likely than the general working population to take their own life. Working in construction comes with intense pressure, tight contracts, long hours, time away from family and managing extremely tight budgets, so it’s little wonder workers in the sector are really feeling the strain.
“Over half of UK employees, especially 50% of millennials, don’t talk about mental health issues, and this then creates a culture where many workers avoid seeking support that they need, and that further impacts their mental wellbeing. I wholeheartedly applaud what APS is doing to advocate mental health and wellbeing issues. We cannot afford to ignore these important factors.”
APS partners with and supports work carried out by mental health charities Lighthouse Charity and Mates in Mind. Both are dedicated to supporting mental wellbeing among construction workers, providing organisations with support services including helplines and mental health training, in a bid to foster a culture of openness and support.
Early in the New Year, APS takes its campaign message to the Welsh Parliament – The Senedd – at an event hosted by former Labour minister John Griffiths and then onto Westminster ensuring there’s great clarity on the issues amongst elected representatives.
Andrew Leslie, chief executive, the Association for Project Safety said, “There were often no ‘warning signs’ that employees are suffering from mental health issues until, sadly, it may be too late. This is why we’ve taken the campaign to Holyrood, The Senedd and Westminster. Our politicians will recognise just how important this use is and the need to address the fact that everyone affected has their own unique challenges.”
