Investing in Mental Health First Aid is vital as the construction industry has a long history of poor mental health. Construction workers are far more likely to die by their own hand than to be killed in an accident on site. Poor mental health is the most significant cause of death in the construction industry. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than 1,400 construction workers committed suicide in the UK between 2011 and 2017.
The Importance of Mental Health First Aid
This startling statistic from the ONS shows how important it is for companies to take steps to improve their employees’ mental health. One way to do this is to focus on mental health training to create a network of mental health first-aiders within your organisation, precisely the approach taken by Auctus Management Group.
Putting Mental Health First
An experienced MHFA England trainer guided a group of 12 volunteers from Auctus Management Group over two days to engage and support their colleagues and guide them to the appropriate resources. This network of mental health first aiders is available to support colleagues based in Birmingham, Doncaster, and Cwmbran regional offices and our workforce on track.
Creating a Mentally Healthy Workforce
The benefits of having a trained network of mental health first-aiders are clear. They can support colleagues struggling with their mental health, signpost them to the relevant services, and help create a more mentally healthy workplace.
This is crucial, as poor mental health can have a devastating impact on employees both professionally and personally. It can lead to reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, and even suicide.
Creating a mentally healthy workplace is not only good for employees, but it can also be good for business. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce, and businesses that invest in their employees’ mental health will see a return on that investment in the form of increased productivity and decreased absenteeism.
Mental Health Champions
We spoke to our Mental Health Champion, Ru Katakia, who strongly advocates for a range of mental health initiatives to be in place across the business.
“It is vital to any organisation to invest in the health and wellbeing of their employees. The Mental Health First Aider initiative is an essential step in the journey to support our colleagues. MHFA England offers high-quality training that provides colleagues with the skills to support someone in a mental health crisis and the opportunity to learn more about how to look after their wellbeing.
I would encourage all organisations to invest in their employees’ mental health first aid training.”
Useful Resources
If you are an employer and are interested in offering MHFA England training to your employees, please visit their website for more information: https://mhfaengland.org/
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 (in the UK) or visit their website for more information about their services – https://www.samaritans.org/
Please note that this article is not intended as advice; you should always consult a suitably qualified professional if you have any concerns about your health or wellbeing.
