The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched a free suicide prevention resource pack for the construction industry, designed to help workers recognise when a colleague is struggling and start conversations about suicide.
Looking out for each other: A practical guide to talking about suicide for people in construction adapts BS 30480, the British Standard on suicide and the workplace, for smaller construction businesses that may lack dedicated HR teams or formal wellbeing procedures.
Developed with organisations including CIOB, CITB, Mates in Mind, Mace, The B1M, the Supply Chain Sustainability School and the City of London Corporation, the guidance aims to give people practical steps for supporting colleagues in a sector where long hours, financial uncertainty, job insecurity and working away from home can contribute to mental health pressures.
Construction teams often form around individual projects, while isolation, injury and periods between jobs can add to the pressures workers face. A CIOB study found that 28% of people working in construction had experienced suicidal thoughts at least once in the previous year.
Anyone can start a conversation
The guide is aimed at everyone working in the sector, from business owners and site managers to employees, subcontractors and self-employed workers. It emphasises that anyone can start a conversation about suicide, regardless of their role or training.
It sets out four steps for responding to concerns about a colleague: noticing the signs, asking directly about suicide, listening, and connecting the person with support. And it also explains how to approach conversations when there are no obvious warning signs, which language to use or avoid, and how to support colleagues following a suicide or serious suicide attempt.
Additional advice for business owners and site managers covers planning for a crisis and five practical actions for those without a dedicated HR function or substantial wellbeing budget.
The pack also includes a toolbox talk and an action sheet for use in site cabins, welfare units and work vehicles, with a QR code linking to the full guidance.
Anne Hayes, director of sectors at BSI, said: “Construction depends on people working closely together, often across different companies and for as long as a particular job lasts. Many smaller firms also don’t have HR teams to fall back on.
“This guide takes the principles of BS 30480 and turns them into plain, practical advice, so that anyone on site, whatever their role, can recognise when someone is struggling and feel confident starting a conversation.”
The resource pack is available to download free from BSI’s website.
