ONE of Evesham’s largest employers has created a video to help raise awareness of mental health struggles in the construction industry.
To mark World Mental Health Day on October 10, Jet Plant Hire, has released a 60-second film featuring employees from across the business to encourage anyone experiencing difficulties to speak up and seek support from colleagues.
More than one in seven UK adults have said their mental health is currently either bad, or the worst it’s ever been and poor mental health in the construction sector has been called a ‘silent epidemic’.
Last year the British Safety Council reported that workers in construction are nearly four times more likely to take their own lives than in other sectors.
And according to a recent Trades Union Congress survey, more than half of safety advisors in construction said there was an increase in reported mental health issues during the past year.
Jet Plant actively promotes a culture of discussion and support around mental health issues and hopes to influence the wider construction industry into removing any stigma associated with talking about feelings.
Managing director Sean Witheford highlighted the significance of addressing mental health in the sector. He said: “At Jet we’re so proud to do things differently.
“We like to set the standard for the industry across all facets of our business and we’re proud to have reached out to everyone in the industry to ask them to just talk to those around them when they’re finding it hard.”
“We’re really proud of what we do for our people and constantly looking at ways to further improve and support them. But we can’t do it alone. It’s an industry wide issue and we must all tackle it together.
“The video initiative is testament to our workforce and we hope that it can make a small difference. If it impacts one person who is struggling, then it’s worth it.”
Visit the Jet Plant Hire website here to watch the video.
