HSE’s Working Minds campaign has added to its partner roster with the addition of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.
Construction is one of the key focus sectors for the campaign and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity provides a new route for Working Minds to raise awareness of how to prevent work-related stress and encourage good mental health.
Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Club said, “No construction worker or their family should be alone in a crisis and we have a number of ways that people can reach out for support. We provide 24/7 free and confidential emotional, physical and financial support to our construction community in the OK and Ireland.
“A crucial element of the charity’s strategy is to provide a range of free and easily accessible pro-active resources to support the construction community at an individual and employer level.
“Over 87% of the workforce are male and over 50% of the sector is made up of self employed, agency staff or on zero-hour contract workers. Many of these have no access to support so it’s vital that we reach our ‘boots on the ground’ workforce to let them know about the support they can access.”
Sarah Jardine, Head of Construction Division HSE, said: “The Working Minds campaign is calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces where managing stress and talking about how people are coping is as routine as managing workplace safety.
“By increasing our campaign partners we are able to increase the reach and visibility of our campaign, allowing us all to achieve greater success. The Lighthouse Club, alongside existing partner Mates in Mind, will help us to talk to businesses and workers in the construction industry. They will play an important role in sharing key information as well as provide essential insight into the unique stressors experienced by people working in the industry as we continue to evolve our campaign.”
Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps based on risk assessment to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and make it Routine.
