UK HSE targets construction in mental health initiative
Construction is one of five sectors being specifically targeted in a new campaign aimed at helping businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) says that mental health issues are the number one reason given for sick days in across the UK economy. Last year more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety, or depression.
In response HSE is launching a campaign, ‘Working Minds’, to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress.
The Working Minds campaign has partnered with other organisations, including the charity Mates in Mind. HSE wants to see a culture change across Britain’s workplaces to get psychological risks treated the same as physical ones in health and safety risk management.
HSE chief executive Sarah Albon said: “Work-related stress and poor mental health should be treated with the same significance as risks of poor physical health and injury. In terms of the affect it has on workers, significant and long-term stress can limit performance and impact personal lives. No worker should suffer in silence and if we don’t act now to improve workers’ mental health, this could evolve into a health and safety crisis.
“The pandemic has highlighted the need to protect the health of employees who have faced unprecedented challenges; the government is committed to building back better and we want to make sure good mental health is central to this.”