{"id":66862,"date":"2019-11-06T10:18:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T10:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=66862"},"modified":"2019-11-06T10:18:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T10:18:59","slug":"mental-health-in-construction-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/health-safety-news\/mental-health-in-construction-3\/66862\/","title":{"rendered":"A uniform approach to managing mental health in construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Margaret Hanson, chief executive of national mental health and wellbeing charity Imagine Independence<\/a>, calls for a unified culture change to tackle mental illness in the construction sector<\/span><\/h2>\n

Major reform is needed to better manage mental health in the construction industry. Working on a building site has become the deadliest profession in the UK, but it has little do with physical injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the latest Office of National Statistics<\/a> (ONS) figures, 3,400 construction workers committed suicide between 2001 and 2017 \u2013 an average of 212 every year this century. Labourers and crane operators are now more likely than ever to be off sick due to anxiety, stress and depression.<\/span><\/p>\n

Setting the standard<\/span><\/h3>\n

There have been great strides across the sector when it comes to workplace mental illness in recent years. And this should rightly be applauded. <\/span>However, the sheer scale and complexities of the issue demand a uniform approach across the entire industry to be effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

There must be a set standard that businesses can adhere to if there is to be real long-term success. <\/span>In October 2017, a relatively unknown government-commissioned independent review of mental health in the workplace was released.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thriving at Work<\/a>, led by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Mind CEO Paul Farmer, focused on how employers could create a \u201cpositive and supportive workplace culture themselves, free from stigma.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The 10-year plan was to ensure employees had \u201cgood work\u201d, which contributes positively to mental health, society and the economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was based on setting mental health \u201ccore standards\u201d \u2013 a framework to enable swift implementation, including<\/span><\/p>\n