By Chris Coetzee, OHSS Consultant
Mental health awareness is important for construction safety because mental health issues can increase the risk of accidents in hazardous work environments.
Mental health is often called a silent struggle. Images by AP Photo/Denis Farrell
Mental health issues can affect a worker’s ability to concentrate and make decisions.
With so much information regarding mental awareness and the benefits of developing a mental awareness programme for your own company, you may ask questions like: “Where do we even start?” or “What should be in the mental awareness plan or procedures?” Let us look at some areas in which plumbers may experience mental distress due to the scope of work they provide, we hope this will answer the above questions sufficiently for you to be able to make your own more suitable mental awareness procedures.
Long hours
Statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2016 show the total number of hours worked in year across the world – and how South Africa compares.
While South Africa isn’t listed in the particular measure, weekly working hour data from the OECD shows that the average South African worker is on the job for 43.3 hours a week – or 8.7 hours a day.
Considering there are 250 working days in the South African business calendar (excluding weekends and public holidays), it’s fair to extrapolate this data to say the average South African worker puts in 2 165 hours a year.
This would place South Africans third on the list of hardest workers, below Mexico and Costa Rica. In 2018, AfriForum Wêreldwyd in its online blog stated: “South Africans are listed as the fifth most hardworking country in the world.”
It’s not hard to see that South Africans are in fact hard workers, a statistic we are both proud of, and concerned about, when it comes to workplace health and safety. Long hours and irregular schedules can disrupt circadian rhythms, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Disrupted circadian rhythms are linked to increased accidents, absenteeism, and decreased productivity among construction workers.
Solution: Flexible work schedules and sleep health programmes can improve mental well-being and safety. While studies have shown that sleep timing influences safety and health, they often overlook sleep, quantity, work, shift start time and a broad range of health and safety outcomes.
Work schedule adjustments and better sleep practices may mitigate adverse effects on workers’ health and well-being.
High workload
Burnout and being overworked can lead to cynicism, exhaustion, boredom, worsened job performance and depression. Having too much to do and not enough time to do it takes a toll on an employee’s wellbeing. Overloading and employee can lead to:
- Frustration
- Strain
- Distress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
All of the above lead to increased risk of accidents in hazardous work environments as well as self-harm.
Solution: In addition, promoting a healthy work-life balance by limiting excessive overtime and offering flexibility when possible, can help prevent mental health issues from arising and is critical in fighting this crisis.
Physical pain
Construction workers are often exposed to hazardous conditions, heavy lifting and repetitive movements. This can lead to musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain and fatigue. With the status of being in the top five countries of hardest workers comes with it the strains and stressors on our bodies.
The physically demanding nature of construction work can cause chronic pain and injuries, which in turn can lead to mental health issues due to the pain and disability. The ‘tough guy’ culture in construction can make it difficult for workers to seek help for mental health issues.
Solution: It is crucial to raise awareness about mental health issues and educate workers, supervisors and management. Doing so will promote the idea that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, which is an essential foundation pillar in providing assistance to construction workers.
Lack of social support
According to OSHA, workers in industries that require them to interact with multiple people daily face a higher risk of encountering workplace violence than those in other industries, as well as psychosocial hazards. Small groups of workers are prone to more workplace violence than employees in other professions. Jobs that call for interactions with volatile people in equally volatile or hazardous environments, such as construction sites, and are also likely to experience workplace violence.
Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behaviour that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors.
Type 1: Criminal intent: Criminal intent workplace violence is when the employee or the establishment they work in has no direct or previous relationship with the perpetrator. The most common acts of violence associated with this type are theft, trespassing, breaking and entering, and assault
Type 2: Customer/client: For customer/client violence, the perpetrator is a client of the employer or the establishment. In this situation, the act of violence is often done when the employee is performing their daily duties.
Type 3: Worker-on-worker: Worker-on-worker violence refers to aggression between two or more employees in the same workplace. Also referred to as lateral or horizontal violence, worker-on-worker violence often manifests in verbal, emotional and physical abuse with the primary intent to humiliate and offend. This kind of workplace violence is usually carried out by an employee to another they deem lower than them, but in some cases, even to those on the same level as them.
Type 4: Personal relationship: With this type of workplace violence, the perpetrator has a direct relationship with someone that affects their work and workplace, but does not work with them. This type of workplace violence is also sometimes referred to as ‘interpersonal violence’ or ‘relationship violence’ as it includes domestic abuse victims wherein their spouses follow them to work and harass them there.
Many incidents of workplace violence go unreported. Reasons for under-reporting include:
- Lack of reporting guidelines or policy
- Lack of trust in the reporting system
- Fear of retaliation
Solution: Peer support groups can be encouraged to create a supportive environment where workers can share their experiences and support each other. It is imperative to promote a culture of safety and well-being where workers feel comfortable and empowered when reporting mental health issues. To achieve this, you must implement clear and supportive mental health policies outlining procedures for seeking help and available resources.
Inappropriate safety equipment
It is a known fact that some companies purchase their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Workwear (PPW) using the ‘three-quote’ means of assessing which is the ‘cheapest’ of the quotes and not necessarily what is the best fit and quality for my employees.
Recently I was chatting to a friend who runs a branch of a well-known PPE company, and I found what he said very interesting. “Many will buy themselves a pair of expensive Levi jeans because of their known quality and comfort, which we will wear now and then when we go out. But when it comes to something we wear every day, to and from work, on the job and in front of clients, we opt for the cheapest PPE.”
That statement or observation really resonated with me, I have often assisted clients in choosing PPE for the risk assessment I have performed and helped to make an informed decision on what PPE or PPW is best for their needs. But to understand it as my friend does, the PPE we wear needs to becomes our identity.
Solution: Before any PPE or PPW is purchased have you looked at the below?
Assess hazards: Identify the potential hazards in your work environment. This may involve consulting with colleagues to ensure all potential hazards are identified.
Select appropriate PPE: Choose PPE that is suitable for the task and the user. Consider the type of exposure, fit, durability and compatibility of the PPE. For example, if you’re choosing a harness or lifejacket, the right size is critical.
Check with a supplier: You can consult with a supplier about what PPE is appropriate for your job.
The construction industry is facing a critical challenge, which is the silent struggle of mental health among its workforce. This issue requires immediate attention and should not be ignored any longer. By acknowledging the problem, raising awareness and introducing supportive measures, we can assist those in the construction industry to lead healthier and happier lives. We must shift our focus from the physical aspects of construction to the mental well-being of those who build our world today.
