Inside the industry where workers are four times more likely to die by suicide

WORRYING statistics have revealed that builders are more like to die by suicide than any other industry.

And the issue is worsening, despite general efforts to get blokes to open up about their mental health.

2

New figures show 749 construction workers took their own lives in 2022.

The Build Network UK said deaths increased 12 per cent in a year from 668 in 2021.

It added that suicide rates are the highest of any industry, with labourers four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.

Network founder Andy Stevens said: “Every year these figures increase and it is time something was done to halt this alarming rise.

“We lose more in construction to suicide compared to any other industry.

“One suicide is one too many and 749 is just horrendous. 

“To inspire the next generation into our great industry, we have to get these figures down urgently. We must start working together.”

Experts have called for more support in the industry, where poor mental health is an “accident waiting to happen”. 

Sarah Baldry of Wysa, an AI-driven mental health chatbot service, said: “In the construction industry, addressing mental health isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic necessity. 

“The statistics are stark reminders of the urgent need for change.

“Poor mental health in the the construction industry is an accident waiting to happen.”

Long hours, high levels of pressure and a lack of support are thought to contribute to the issue – though it is rarely down to just one.

The environment can also be dirty, loud, exposed to harsh weather conditions and is taxing on physical health.

Most builders are men, and polls show many are reluctant to talk about their wellbeing.

Sarah said: “The construction sector has some of the worst rates of mental health than any other in the UK.

“Yet 72 per cent of firms in the sector admitted to having no dedicated policy for providing mental health support.

“Some 87 per cent of construction workers experience anxiety, according to Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, a study from the Chartered Institute of Building.

“Seventy per cent experience depression, 26 per cent have suicidal thoughts and a huge 95 per cent regularly experience poor concentration.”

Darren Docherty runs the air conditioning and ventilation company Innovair and describes how he has known colleagues on jobs that are clearly struggling.

“I tried to get them to reach out for help but I could barely get them to talk to me or their family, let alone go to a doctor,” he said.

“I’ve known four people who work in the building trade to end their lives due to their mental health.

“It’s a common problem for men. No one wants to talk. No one wants to get help. They would rather end their lives than get help.”

‘I WANTED TO BE LEFT ALONE’

Ben Price*, 37, a site manager at a major construction firm in London, found himself experiencing thoughts of suicide 

He has worked in construction since he was 17. Now in his late 30s and a father, Ben says his mental health has suffered severely over the last few years.

He said: “For years I’d felt stressed about work. I’ve never had a day when I’ve woken up and been excited about going in.

“It’s just such a hard environment to be in. 

“Where I work there’s no real HR department, so if someone yells in my face because there’s a delay on something, there’s not much I can do about it. And that happens pretty much all the time.”

I couldn’t breathe, I was gasping for air, my whole body went cold and tingly and the next thing I knew paramedics were running over because I’d collapsed.

Ben*

Ben reveals that his days can be long – up at 5am to be on-site at 7.30am and then home usually no earlier than 8pm.

“I get in, eat something then go to bed. I haven’t got the energy to do anything, not even watch TV,” he said.

“I have a girlfriend and young son at home and I’m never back in time to see him before bed or before he wakes up – and she’s annoyed because I’m always knackered and grumpy at the end of the day.”

He added: “When my son was born five years ago, I felt exhausted at home and under pressure from my girlfriend to help and be around. 

“But work was nearing the end of a project and the pressure was triple what it normally is.

“I didn’t feel like myself. I was angry all the time, tired all the time and fed up.

“I wasn’t happy at work, I didn’t feel happy at home. I wanted to be left alone. I’d happily just sit in the pub alone and have no one talk to me.”

2

Ben started thinking about suicide. “I would think perhaps everyone would be better off if I wasn’t around,” he said.

He was on his way to work one morning when he experienced a panic attack for the first time while waiting for a train.

He said: “Suddenly, this wave of instant fear come over me. 

“I couldn’t breathe, I was gasping for air, my whole body went cold and tingly and the next thing I knew paramedics were running over because I’d collapsed.

“My girlfriend rushed to the train station and came with me to the hospital, where they put me on a drip. 

“I had had a panic attack but my blood sugars were low because I just hadn’t been putting my health first.”

Ben’s girlfriend urged him to talk to someone and booked an appointment with the GP.

He said: “They tried to put me on medication but I didn’t like how it made me feel.

“But the anxiety was getting worse so eventually we found a local therapist and I started having weekly appointments. 

“But even that stressed me out because it meant I was late one morning a week and that was frowned upon by the whole team.”

After a few weeks, Ben started to feel better but even now, he struggles with low mood and depression.

“I got my mental health in a slightly better place but I know colleagues who haven’t and it’s time this industry changed,” he said.

THE ROOT ISSUE

There are four key factors making construction the most suicide-risk profession, according to Dr Gregory Warwick, chartered psychologist at Quest Psychology Services in Salford.

He said: “They are high-stress environments where people work to tight deadlines and budgets. 

“It’s physically straining and demanding, causing physical pain, which leads to mental struggles. 

“It’s known for job insecurity where people are on zero-hour contracts and employed project to project, which takes away security and leads to financial worries. 

“Lastly, the work they’re often doing involves long hours and unsocial hours, which makes it hard to engage in all the things we should be doing to look after ourselves.”

Dr Warwick suggests that support for mental health in construction lags behind other industries.

There needs to be someone on site who facilitates and encourages men to share their concerns and to look out for each other.

Simon Leepersonal development coach

He said: “Ultimately, the sites and companies that run them need to have cultural and systemic changes to look at how people are treated, raise awareness on mental health and how to manage employees with it, as well as enforce HR policies to treat each other with decency and change working conditions to be more supportive and sustainable.”

He added that there should be easier access to counselling so people get help “in a matter of weeks rather than waiting 18 months on an NHS waiting list”.

Simon Lee, a personal development coach, agrees, but argues that men must look after each other, too.

He said: “There is a culture within construction that doesn’t encourage vulnerability too. 

“These guys work in all weather and very challenging situations. They are by all accounts, resilient and hard-working men. 

“But talking about their feelings is not encouraged or even personally accepted by them. 

“They actively reject the parts of themselves they feel are weak and inappropriate until the pressure builds to a catastrophic level.

“These men hold their angst inside until they fall apart. By this time, they are often already close to doing something drastic.

“Men need to start looking out for each other. 

“Simply having a company mental health specialist no one ever sees just isn’t sufficient; there needs to be someone on site who facilitates and encourages men to share their concerns and to look out for each other.

“I have coached men in the construction industry and what’s interesting is that even the quantity surveyors experience depression and mental health issues.”

Some construction firms are starting to take the lead in changing mental health attitudes in the UK.

Genesis Homes and its sister company Russell Armer Homes have chosen male suicide prevention organisation ANDYSMANCLUB, which runs in the Leeds area, as its charity of the year for 2024.

Nicky Gordon, the chief executive of Genesis Homes, said: “It is heartbreaking to read the stats about the high level of suicides in construction. 

“It is an industry dominated by men and measures need to be implemented to try to reduce this worrying trend.

“For whatever reason, there has always been a stigma around men showing emotion, talking about their mental health and letting others know they’re struggling as if it is some sort of weakness.

“What ANDYSMANCLUB does is let men know that it’s not a sign of weakness.

“Conversely, it is okay to talk and share your feelings – that to me shows bravery.”

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity