The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy is a welcome and much needed new initiative to help drive industry change, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB’s CEO Brian Berry has joined more than 140 industry leaders at the Construction Leadership Council’s launch of its comprehensive Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy.
The FMB, which represents more than 6,500 small and medium-sized construction companies, has a long-term partnership with the Lighthouse Charity – raising almost £8,000 so far through the Master Builder Awards. The FMB, which is said to be the UK’s largest trade body in the construction sector, has been actively promoting the Lighthouse Charity’s vital mental health services throughout its extensive membership network.
The CLC’s new comprehensive mental health strategy brings together the Health and Safety Executive, Construction Industry Advisory Committee, Mates in Mind, and firms across the entire supply chain, including SMEs, in a collaborative effort to address the construction industry’s disproportionate safety and mental health challenges, says the FMB.
It adds: “This work will be overseen by a newly-established CLC Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group, which will measure progress through industry-wide health and safety performance data. This Group will then report to the CLC Board.”
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “The construction industry has faced a mental health crisis for far too long with construction workers three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average which is totally unacceptable. By working together to drive change the construction sector can help create a better industry for everyone.”
Berry continued: “Small and medium-sized building companies are the backbone of our industry, employing hundreds of thousands of workers, yet they often lack the resources for comprehensive wellbeing programmes that larger contractors can afford. That’s why the FMB supports the Lighthouse Charity. Through the FMB’s work with the Lighthouse Charity, we’re helping to ensure every one of our members has access to professional mental health support for their workers. Our aim is to actively connect our members with the Lighthouse’s 24/7 helpline, promoting their mental health training programmes, and ensuring the smallest building firms have the same access to life-saving support as the largest contractors.”
The FMB’s commitment includes promoting Lighthouse Charity’s services through its extensive communication channels, incorporating mental health awareness into its training programmes, and working with the newly-established CLC Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group to ensure the strategy’s benefits reach construction SMEs effectively, says the company.
Lighthouse Charity, which provides specialised mental health support for construction workers and their families, operates a 24/7 construction industry helpline and delivers suicide prevention programmes specifically designed for the unique challenges facing construction workers.
www.fmb.org.uk
