Simon Blake is the chief executive of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), construction workers are now almost four times more likely to die by suicide than in any other sector. In 2021, 507 construction workers took their own lives. This equates to two workers every day. That was 507 people too many.
Suicide can be prevented through education and intervention. Employers across the industry must come together to reduce suicide.
“Through proper training, employees will gain the confidence and skills to ask the vital, and sometimes life-saving, questions”
The ONS data also found that while national suicide rates have remained fairly constant since 2018, rates continue to rise among construction workers. While employers can’t change the upheaval that people in the industry have faced over the past few years, they can start acting now to support their people.
There are multiple factors that can increase a person’s risk of suicide, and these can overlap and intersect. Recognizing and understanding the risk factors that may be prevalent in the construction industry and in your people can help you create specific suicide prevention strategies.
Long hours, extended periods away from home and financial stress caused by irregular work patterns are factors to consider. A 2021 Congress of Trade Union survey also found a prevalence of toxic masculinity, where verbal abuse and bullying are common, as one of the top five risks identified by safety representatives.
How employers can help prevent suicide
At MHFA England, we are calling on employers in the sector to incorporate suicide awareness, prevention and support into your mental health and wellbeing strategies. Our recent survey found that many people do not know what to do if they are concerned that a colleague is thinking about suicide.
A third of people surveyed (33%) incorrectly believe that asking about suicide can put the idea in someone’s head. We need to get people to ask the life-saving question: “Are you thinking about ending your life?”
One way to start changing this is through suicide first aid training. It gives people a better understanding of suicide, including how to spot the signs of someone who may be thinking about suicide and the confidence to intervene and help create a suicide safety plan. Through proper training like this, employees will gain the confidence and skills to ask the vital, and sometimes life-saving, questions.
In addition, employers can share suicide resources for everyone to use in the workplace. At MHFA England, we have produced a free resource with advice on how to support someone experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviour. Placing this on site, in offices or common areas starts to show your people that you are not afraid to talk about suicide.
We know that employers will be at different stages of their journey to support employee mental health and prevent suicide. That’s all right.
Having worked with over 20,000 different organisations, including Skanska, Colas Ltd and Morgan Sindall, providing mental health training and consultancy, we know that many of you already have effective strategies in place. By encouraging your people to talk more freely about mental health and to seek support when needed, you are laying the groundwork for workplace suicide prevention.
The industry has made great strides in addressing the stigma surrounding mental health through various collective efforts, including the Building Mental Health partnership. This initiative, led by industry experts, offers support and advice to raise awareness of mental health. Since 2018, it has trained more than 10,000 MHFAiders in the sector. That’s more than 10,000 people who bring mental health knowledge, awareness and skills to their workplaces and beyond.
Now is the time to build on this change in attitude and tackle the stigma surrounding suicide. Wherever you are on your journey, it’s what we do next that matters. Let’s be proactive and work together to prevent more unnecessary deaths.
If you want to take the next step in supporting your people, visit our website. Or, if you would like to speak to our workplace team about how we can help you develop your mental health and wellbeing strategies through our bespoke consultancy service, please email workplace@mhfaengland.org.
