Construction charity backs HSE’s Working Minds campaign

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. Recent survey results show that the pressure to work to tight deadlines is the number one reason why workers say they are struggling at work.

The anonymous survey captured a picture of the mental health of UK construction workers and what has changed in recent years. More than half of workers taking part in the survey said that they did not receive the appropriate level of support with their mental health from their managers. And 59 per cent did not tell their employer that the reason they needed time off was for mental health, a slight improvement compared to 2019.

Lighthouse Club CEO Bill Hill 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.”

HSE head of construction division Sarah Jardine 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.

More about the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.

The charity provides free support services to any construction worker or their family including;

• 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, call 0345 605 1956
• Text HARDHAT to 85258 f you’re uncomfortable talking and would rather text
• Free Construction Industry Helpline mobile app
• Wellbeing Masterclass Sessions and MHFA training
• Lighthouse Beacons volunteer centres around the UK where workers can drop in to socialise and meet others that are struggling with life problems.
• Help Inside The Hard Hat is an awareness campaign signposting to all the freeresources available for companies to help develop and execute wellbeing strategies.

The charity receives no public funding and relies entirely on the support of the construction community to raise funds to support the construction workforce and their families. 

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity