Construction Industry - shocking facts you may not know

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By Anne-Marie Gowen

As someone without any inside knowledge of the construction industry, but with a keen interest in wellbeing at work, I thought I would take a look at the statistics for suicide rates by occupation. I wanted to see if there was anything to learn – see what the facts are. The results were STARTLING – and not in a good way.

Not what I expected

If you had asked me (and, I suspect, the majority of the population) for the leading cause of death for construction workers, I might guess at:

falls
accidents with machinery
dust inhalation
collapsing floors/buildings

But suicide would not have entered my head. And yet this is the group of people who have the highest rates of suicide (ONS). Lower-skilled labourers are 3 times more likely to end their lives by suicide. But even skilled workers have twice the national average rate of suicide.

Why is it happening?

Well, to put it into context, this is a male-heavy industry – and the suicide rate for men is 3 times higher than for women. And they are also working age, and suicide is the leading cause of death for males under 60. This is another statistic which may be news for you. Whatever the explanations, it makes total sense to suggest that a massive suicide prevention initiative needs to happen in this industry.

If you think of health and safety in the construction industry you think of hard hats, safety harnesses, ear defenders, face masks, prohibited areas, etc, etc. You do not think of a mental health or wellbeing policy.

And yet from April 2015 to April 2016 there were just over 40 workplace accident fatalities. But over 400 deaths by suicide of construction workers. I will let you think about those figures for a moment. Ten times more people ending their lives by suicide.

We’re ignoring the main issues

You could say this is a triumph for traditional health and safety on sites. And you would probably be partially correct. Their interventions, legislation and changes in practices have impacted positively and saved lives. But you could also say that this demonstrates that we are ignoring the main issue here. That is, wellbeing amongst construction workers and their greatly elevated risk of suicide. This isn’t to say anyone should take their foot off the pedal for the “traditional” Health & Safety (H&S) rules. But we are ignoring an elephant in the room here.

Why would these men be at such increased risk? We have to know what is happening to them and who they are, to come up with an effective plan. What might the issues be?

What are the issues?

Does the industry at the unskilled level attract men who may also have complex social “issues”? Issues such as alcohol dependence, relationship problems and/or other stressful life events? This “self-selection” may bring people together who have many existing risk factors. There has been some evidence found in research of this (Heller et al, 2007 and AISRAP, 2006).

Possibly some of the men are immigrants with poor social and family connections These are protective factors for many others. They may lack language skills and be more isolated as a result. Isolation is known to be a risk factor. Public Health England equate the danger of isolation to that of smoking 12 cigarettes a day.

Even at the skilled worker level – your plasterers, painter & decorators, roofers and tilers – the rate is twice the male national average. High alcohol consumption rates? “Toxic Testosterone” culture? Could these be factors?

Quality of life issues

Quality of life issues that may be factors:

Low pay
Insecure work
High levels of alcohol consumption
Poor personal relationships
Isolated for a variety of reasons – broken families, immigration, language barriers
Long hours?
Are there particular pressures or demands intrinsic to this industry?
Male, “toxic testosterone” culture
Poor coping strategies to deal with life’s ups and downs
Poor self-care – sleep, diet, relaxation
Few days off/holidays
Unsustainable long hours, 7 days a week
Some work may be seasonal – “feast or famine” is unsettling and insecure
Lack of awareness of risk factors for suicide
Lack of awareness of impact of wellbeing at work

Understanding the issues will help with finding ways to make a difference. These deaths are not inevitable. Changes to wellbeing at work practices can make a difference. Previous health and safety policies have saved lots of lives. But attention now needs to focus on this far more prevalent cause of death in this industry.

What can be done?

So, what can be done? Fortunately, there are new initiatives springing up and the world of H&S is now taking mental health, stress and wellbeing at work seriously. This is because the numbers speak for themselves.

I have come across two particular organisations that are taking real, concrete action (no pun intended). The first is Mates in Mind (https://www.matesinmind.org. The second is The Lighthouse Club (http://www.lighthouseclub.org/).

Mates in Mind, a relatively new charity (2017) aims to raise awareness, address the stigma of poor mental health and improve positive mental wellbeing in the UK construction industry. It has a goal to reach 100,000 in its first year and 75% of the workers by 2025. It aims to be a repository of information and advice for employers who want to improve mental wellbeing. And it is doing this in partnership with organisations who are experts in these field such as Mind, Samaritans and Mental Health First Aid England.

How?

Their focus will be on tackling and preventing stress. And creating more healthy workplaces by promoting positive mental wellbeing. Additionally, they will carry out research and collate information to build a credible evidence base to provide effective solutions for the industry.

The Lighthouse Club has a different though complementary approach. It has a 24/7 Helpline for construction industry workers and their families. It has a focus this year on mental health. Raising awareness of the very real problem it poses for the industry and promoting conversations about mental health and wellbeing. This includes the “Stop. Make a Change” initiative in April 2018. The charity also provides financial and emotional support to construction workers and their families.

Both of these charities are doing sterling and much needed work. The Health & Safety industry is beginning to take wellbeing at work more seriously, and there is legislation in place to protect employees. The organisations Mates in Mind have linked up with are not focused on the construction industry but the entire population, and are leaders in their field.

Other charities

Mind campaigns nationally for improvements in services for mental ill health and provides advice and information across the mental health field. It has many resources for improving wellbeing in the workplace.

Samaritans has volunteers ready to listen to anyone in distress 24/7 who are highly trained especially in discussing suicidal thoughts and feelings.

MHFA England provides the most comprehensive training courses which are internationally acclaimed. It provides evidence-based training to provide first aid – for mental or emotional crises. There are surely physical first aiders on all sites? But how many mental health first aiders are there? Every manager/site manager/foreman should attend – especially those from an industry with such high suicide mortality figures.

The dangers to the lives of construction workers are no longer predominantly physical, but now mental. We must adapt our response to this reality.

What can we do?

What is needed – where can we start?

A clear lead from the top of the organisation with a clear message that wellbeing at work matters.
Health & Safety Assessments – where health includes mental health
Disability Discrimination Act being applied for those it covers
Occupational Health embracing all matters regarding emotional and mental wellbeing
HR practices which promote wellbeing. Hours of work, time off work, facilities on sites etc, adequate training (e.g. MHFA, stress reduction, resilience) and challenging “toxic” cultures
Stress awareness and reduction – it is everyone’s business
Wellbeing and Resilience workshops offered to everyone
Debt management/financial advice/gambling support where appropriate
Anti-bullying campaigns – signed up to and led by the CEO
Alcohol and drug policies enforced
Employee Assistance Programmes
MHFA training for all managers – 2 day course
MHFA training for everyone else – at least the half day “Awareness” training

There are some easy answers – some of the above are easy, simple and cheap. Many are about attitudes and awareness.

Why?

There is an obvious ethical and humane case here to the loss of lives. And to lives lived miserably, to people not fulfilling their potential. To the loss and suffering of people touched by every suicide – friends, family, colleagues and the wider community. There is also the business case.

The business costs of mental ill health:

£8.4 billion a year in sickness absence – 400,000 lost working days in the construction industry for stress, anxiety and depression alone.
£15.1 billion a year in reduced productivity at work
“Presenteeism” accounts for 1.5 times as much working time lost as absenteeism, and costs more to employers because it is more common among higher-paid staff.
£2.4 billion a year in replacing staff who leave their jobs because of mental ill health (staff retention is increasingly important in many areas where skills are in short supply)
91 million days lost each year due to mental health problems.
The Centre For Mental Health has calculated that the total cost to employers is estimated at nearly £26 billion each year – equivalent to £1,035 for every employee in the UK workforce.

Taking simple steps to improve the management of mental health in the workplace enables employers to save 30% or more of these costs a year. This is the bottom line.

And …

And note this – from TED Talk by Shawn Achor

“A happier workforce is a more efficient workforce. Our brains perform significantly better when positive/happy than at negative, neutral or stressed. Your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, your energy levels rise. Every single business outcome improves. Your brain at positive is 31% more productive than your brain at negative, neutral or stressed. You’re 37% better at sales. Doctors are 19 per cent faster, more accurate at coming up with the correct diagnosis when positive instead of negative, neutral or stressed.”

A happier, fairly paid, secure, well-trained, well-supported, cared for workforce, who are encouraged to communicate about the issues that are troubling them, in a culture that is friendly and safe, where there are only realistic expectations – will flourish. Positive wellbeing practices, which can be put in place for the benefit of everyone, will increase productivity and reduce stress – and will save lives.

Reproduced with permission, originally posted on

http://unlockyourwellbeing.co.uk/blog/construction-industry-shocking-facts-you-may-not-know