CONSTRUCTION workers across Scotland can now register to attend new suicide prevention workshops developed by Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland in partnership with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health).
The half-day training, spearheaded by Kevin Urquhart, construction director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland, aims to tackle stigma, raise awareness, and equip participants with the confidence to recognise potential warning signs of suicide and start supportive conversations with their colleagues.
The training was designed and developed in partnership with SAMH, Scotland’s national mental health charity, which will also deliver the sessions.
The initiative, supported by £239,000 in funding from the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) Industry Impact Fund, is available free of charge to anyone working in construction, from site supervisors and tradespeople to HR professionals and sole traders.
After securing funding from CITB, Kevin, who has volunteered with SAMH for a number of years, worked with the charity and other industry leaders to develop and pilot the course. He said, “I have been aware of the vitally important work that SAMH is involved in for a while. This, combined with the stark statistics around mental health in the construction industry, inspired me to approach them about working together to develop this initiative.”
Recent research from On the Tools, a UK-based online construction community, found construction workers are four times more likely to die by suicide, with 7,000 lives lost in the last decade. 73% of the UK’s construction workforce have reported experiencing mental health problems.
Kevin added, “This programme has been created by the industry, for the industry. By giving workers the tools to recognise warning signs and start supportive conversations, we can help save lives and change workplace culture for the better.”
Nicole Burke, workplace business development manager at SAMH, commented, “When Kevin approached SAMH about the opportunity to partner on the development of construction-specific suicide prevention training, we were eager to get involved. The programme empowers people to be alert to potential warning signs, support their colleagues and build a culture where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical safety on site.”
Workshops can be attended online or in person. The long-term ambition is for the course to become a permanent feature in CITB’s training portfolio.
Anyone working in Scotland’s construction industry can now register for the free suicide prevention workshops. To sign up contact ciif.training@samh.org.uk, or find out more visit: www.samh.org.uk/get-involved/workplace/training/construction-suicide-prevention-training
