The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has launched a new online portal to help reduce suicide and improve welfare and wellbeing in the construction industry in the UK and Ireland.
The Make It Visible Portal provides access to free information, advice and guidance on emotional, physical and financial wellbeing.
Within each of these sections there are learning tools, self-help tools and ways for people to assess whether they need to seek further help from professionals, e.g. for depression.
All the content is based on research carried out by the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.
A map of drop-in self-help groups known as ‘Lighthouse Beacons' is available for those working away from home and there are videos of construction workers talking about their experiences with issues such as stress, anger and anxiety.
Lighthouse charity CEO Bill Hill said: 'This portal is for everyone in our industry to use, especially those in the trades and agency workers who often have nowhere to turn for help in a crisis. It’s been created by the industry, funded by the industry for all the workforce and their families working in our industry.'
He added: 'Every physical safety measure is taken to protect our workers, but whilst we’ve been shouting safety, we’ve been whispering health.
'If you’re not on top of your game and you’re struggling emotionally, physically or financially, makeitvisible.info will give you instant access to information, advice and guidance and a pathway to free support.'
The Make It Visible initiative brings contractors, clients and professional bodies together to try to tackle the industry’s poor record on worker welfare and wellbeing with an emphasis on mental health.
ONS data shows that people working in construction are three times more likely to take their own lives than those in other industries. Every working day two construction workers are lost to suicide in the UK and Ireland.
The site, which has been developed with funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), also includes emergency numbers for those in need to contact for 24/7 help.
