Facts and figures – construction

The Considerate Constructors Scheme’s industry-wide survey found that 63% felt unable to speak to anyone about mental health issues. A further 71% responded that they have suffered from work-related stress which caused them to be absent from work.

If left untreated and unacknowledged, mental health conditions can become so unbearable that someone may try to take their own life. In the UK, it is a grim fact that suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45, a stark reminder of the importance of awareness and early intervention.

The Stop. Make a Change campaign reports that a construction worker is more likely to die of suicide than they are from a fall from height.

The Office of National Statistics released the following findings on suicides in the construction industry between 2011 and 2015:

  • People working in construction are 63% more likely to die by suicide than the national average.
  • There were over 1,400 suicides in construction in five years, more than any other profession.
  • This is three times the number of suicides by those working as corporate managers or directors and those working in sales.

The facts speak for themselves: mental health is an urgent issue in the UK, especially within the male-dominated construction industry, and needs to be addressed.

The Best Practice Hub is provided by the Considerate Constructors Scheme