Mental wellbeing in construction
Mount Anvil's Health and Safety Director Simon Walker spoke at our Healthy Cities Forum on 9th October to explain the importance of looking after construction site workers' mental health.
The BBC reported today that Prime Minister Theresa May had commissioned a report - Thriving at Work - to look into mental health issues at work and the findings show that some 300,000 people with long-term mental health problems have to leave their jobs each year. The Pime Minister is urging NHS England and the civil service to accept the recommendations of the report.
At our recent forum Simon explained that many construction site workers live away from home and this can often cause stress leading to mental health problems. One measure that the company has taken is to provide free phone booths so that workers can keep in contact with their families - even reading bedtime stories to their children.
Mount Anvil also gives free and confidential money advice through an on-site service to workers which it says has proved extremely popular.
Simon says this is all part of a new and enlightened approach where the whole concept of health and safety is being re-invented to demonstrate business value. He explained that the firm's accidents at work have been drastically reduced through supporting workers' mental health.
The company says it also sees value in improving communication and influencing skills on site. Please watch Simon's video clip above to understand more about this forward-thinking approach.
See further links to Mount Anvil's work in this area: https://www.mountanvil.com/news-updates/often-forgotten-part-health-safety/
and https://www.mountanvil.com/news-updates/its-about-people-not-procedures/