HYDRAULICS specialist Pirtek UK & Ireland has launched a national awareness day to tackle mental health stigma in hard hat industries.
Under the Hard Hat Day is designed to encourage leaders across engineering, construction, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors to take meaningful action on mental health, particularly among male workers in ‘hard hat’ industries.
The national awareness day has been created as part of Pirtek’s commitment to breaking the silence around mental health in sectors where long hours, physical demands, and job insecurity are common, and where struggles are often hidden.
Under the Hard Hat (UTHH) was first launched on October 17 2024 in partnership with men’s suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club and former special forces soldier Ollie Ollerton.
This builds on the findings of a mental health survey commissioned by Pirtek aimed at hard hat workers. Of the 343 respondents surveyed, 94% had experienced stress, anxiety or loneliness at work, nearly 40% had taken time off because of it, and over half felt uncomfortable speaking up.
To get involved in Under the Hard Hat Day, Pirtek is encouraging businesses to consider hosting ‘toolbox talks’ for teams to get together and have a conversation. These sessions are described as a powerful way to show mental health matters, spot early signs of struggle, and build a culture of support.
As a blueprint, the firm has collaborated with Andy’s Man Club (AMC) to deliver toolbox talks within its centres, starting with Pirtek Bristol. This will be delivered by AMC area leads and will be an interactive session designed to facilitate conversation. This will then be rolled out across other centres over the course of the next year.
Martyn Smart, GHSE manager at Pirtek UK & Ireland, said, “Under the Hard Hat Day is about making space for conversations that don’t always happen on site. These talks are a way of reminding our teams that support is there, and that they’re part of a business that genuinely cares about how they’re feeling. We want to help normalise these conversations and make sure that support is visible, accessible and part of everyday working life.”
Click here to learn more about Pirtek’s Under the Hard Hat campaign, or head over to its dedicated page where you can find resources including videos, blog posts and podcasts.
