Preventing Work-Related Stress in Construction

Essential Proactive Strategies.

Work-related stress is a significant concern in the construction industry, demanding schedules, physical labour, and safety risks can all take a toll on workers’ mental health. Sadly, workers in construction are now nearly four times more likely to take their own lives than in other sectors. With Stress, depression and anxiety the second biggest cause of work-related ill health in the construction industry. Addressing proactive measures and preventing stress in the first instance is crucial for maintaining a healthy, productive workforce.

Below are essential strategies to help reduce work-related stress in construction.

Promote Open Communication: Supervisors and managers should carry out and encourage regular check ins with their teams to discuss workloads, deadlines, and any other concerns. Open dialogue helps identify stressors early and provides an opportunity for management to offer support.

Provide Adequate Training and Resources: Offer training programs that cover not only technical skills but also stress management and coping strategies. Well-prepared workers are more confident and less likely to experience stress. Everyone handles stressors differently so it’s important to remember that what one individual feels ‘’ok’’ with, another may not and thus may need further training. Please see our Mental Health and Wellbeing bundle inclusive of interactive online courses that educate on a variety of Mental Health and Wellbeing topics. Mental Health & Wellbeing Bundle – Craven Consultancy Services

Manage Workloads Effectively: Set realistic project timelines and avoid overloading workers with tight deadlines. Adequate planning and resource allocation can prevent excessive pressure and burnout.

Access to Tools and Equipment and provision of PPE: Ensure workers have access to the right tools and equipment to perform their tasks efficiently. Struggling with inadequate resources can increase frustration and stress. Employers have a duty to provide their workers with suitable and sufficient PPE for any task that has been identified as causing potential harm. PPE should be work correctly and checked regularly to identify and defects.

Implement Stress Reduction Programs and Mental Health Support: Provide access to mental health resources, employee assistance programs (EAPs). Professional support can help workers manage stress and mental health issues. Please see our fantastic EAP Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – Craven Consultancy Services members can access quick GP appointments, counselling services and gain instant access to discounts and savings from well known brands. All services through the EAP can be accessed through an app with a cost of £3.50 per employee per month, it’s not going to break the bank.

Enhance Safety Measures and Comprehensive Safety Training: Regularly train workers on safety protocols and procedures. Knowing how to work safely reduces anxiety related to potential hazards. Nobody should be carrying out tasks and operating certain equipment on a building site if they are not competent to do so. Please see our Building Related bundle inclusive of interactive online courses that educate a variety of construction site topics. Building Related Bundle – Craven Consultancy Services

Involve Workers in Decisions and Reward Efforts: Involve workers in decision-making processes, especially those that affect their work directly. Participation helps workers feel in control and reduces stress related to changes. Acknowledge and reward hard work and achievements. Recognition boosts morale and helps workers feel valued, which can mitigate stress.

Ensure Work-Life Balance: Where possible, offer flexible work schedules to help workers balance their professional and personal lives. Flexibility can reduce stress and improve overall job satisfaction.

Workplace Wellbeing Strategy Toolkit including Stress Risk Assessment

Workplace Wellbeing ‘Stress Risk Assessment’ Strategy & Toolkit

This ‘Toolkit’ will give you positive strategies on how to implement a ‘Workplace Wellbeing Strategy’.

We will outline the roles and responsibilities within a business. We include legislation, data and facts and benefits about ‘Supporting Mental Health at Work’.

Workplace health promotion should be more than a series of standalone initiatives. While it is important for employers to introduce wellbeing programmes focused on
individual wellbeing, for example smoking-cessation or healthy-eating campaigns, they should embrace an organisational approach that acknowledges the combined impact of a range of factors on employee wellbeing, including environmental, organisational and societal factors. This means putting together a Wellbeing Strategy.

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees from stress at work by doing a company wide risk assessment and acting on it. If you have fewer than five workers you don’t have to write anything down. But it is useful to do this, so you can review it later, for example if something changes. If you have five or more workers, you are required by law to write the risk assessment down

We give you a comprehensive list of Workplace Wellbeing Ideas and Strategies; including a complete guide to ‘Mental Health Resources Toolkit’.

Mental Health First Aid Training: Mental health first aid is simply the mental health equivalent to physical health first aid. Just like physical first aid, mental health first aid courses don’t teach to diagnose or treat. Instead, they teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of someone potentially suffering from mental health. Individuals are also taught how to offer initial support until appropriate and professional help is received.

It’s crucial for a construction site to have at least one MHFA Trained individual. Join us for Our Face-to-Face or Online MHFA Course. Improve understanding and your awareness and support skills with the QA Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace. This nationally recognised qualification is perfect for all manager/staff. Please follow the links with an option for Face-to-Face booking or online booking.

QA Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace (RQF) [In-Person] – Craven Consultancy Services

QA Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace (RQF) [Online] – Craven Consultancy Services