Mental wellbeing in the workplace is a concern for businesses of all sizes, regardless of whether staff work on-site or at home, or if they are employed or freelance.

A recent article in Construction News cited an Office for National Statistics (ONS) study that found workers in construction are four times more likely to die by suicide than any other sector. In 2021, 507 construction workers took their own lives which is almost the equivalent of two construction workers each working day.

As a construction sector employer and contractor, at Orb Rope Access we have become increasingly aware of our duties regarding the mental health of our workers. To expand her knowledge and understanding of mental health, Director, Julie Lavery, recently attended a two-day Mental Wellbeing First Aid Workshop, delivered by High Performance Consultancy.

The course offered practical advice for maintaining a healthy workforce, and pointers for spotting declining mental health. The five modules covered depression, anxiety, general mental health matters, dealing with stress and mental health first actions.

Julie said: “Although we are a small team, we strongly believe it is important to be able to support not only our direct employees but also our subcontractors who do not have any ‘line management’ in their workplace, as they are self-employed.

The construction industry has one of the highest rates of suicide and I wanted to increase my knowledge of the issues to support all the people we work with. The workshop was highly insightful and it has given me direction on how to spot declining health and how we can help.”

Information on the workshop can be found by visiting https://hpc.uk.com/training/mental-wellbeing-first-aid.

Contact Orb Rope Access if you have a project that requires working at height services.