Stop. Make a Change, the initiative launched last year to highlight the issues of health and safety as well as mental health in the infrastructure sector, is being expanded to include the whole construction industry.
Last April 60,000 workers on more than 1,000 sites took part in events to support the national stand down.
Workers at sites, offices and production facilities stopped work for focused discussions on four key issues – mental health, fatigue, plant safety and respiratory health.
More than 50 clients, contractors and suppliers took part, with many making specific commitments to drive improved performance in the priority areas.
Following feedback from these companies, it has been agreed to expand Stop. Make a Change in 2018 to cover the whole construction sector rather than solely infrastructure. This is intended to increase the impact and share the best practice that has been developed more widely.
In a change to 2017, Stop. Make a Change events will now take place across a two-week period from 16-28 April, rather than a single day. This is to support organisations who faced challenges in standing down their entire workforce at once.
A vote among those organisations that took part last year has identified plant safety and mental wellbeing as the two key priorities for 2018.
Also by focusing on specific topics, organisations will be able to focus on these issues in detail during events.
Stop. Make a Change has been supported by CITB’s Structured Fund as part of Infrastructure 21, a Civil Engineering Contractors Association-led project to help ensure that civils suppliers are primed ready for expected growth in the sector in the coming years.
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