Addressing mental ill-health and suicide in our industry
The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) today launches public consultation on the new industry Culture Standard and its first pillar, Wellbeing, through our virtual consultation hub.
Improving worker wellbeing in construction
Construction has long been a leader in protecting the physical safety of its workers, however, more needs to be done to support the mental health and wellbeing of our workers. The incidence of mental ill-health and suicide in our industry are amongst the highest in the country.
Prioritising the wellbeing of construction workers will save lives and must be a key priority for government and industry alike. Through investing in wellbeing in the industry we can also improve our productivity, the attractiveness of the industry to build a career and reduce the rate of staff turnover.
Prioritising the mental wellbeing of construction workers
Our first round of consultation focuses on exploring the practical steps that can be taken to improve the wellbeing of construction workers.
Under the Wellbeing pillar of the Culture Standard, industry members are asked to introduce programs to help them assess and manage mental and physical health risks, and to promote wellbeing.
Personal wellbeing encompasses physical health needs like exercise, diet and fatigue, as well as mental health. The construction workforce performs poorly against many mental health measures with a profound impact on individuals and their families, along with our communities around Australia.
Get Involved
In an exciting first for the industry, we are today launching our virtual consultation hub where you can find out more and provide your feedback on the Culture Standard and its measures to improve worker wellbeing.
The virtual hub includes fact sheets, videos and case studies as well as opportunities to have your say through questionnaires and surveys.
We welcome any and all input, which you can provide by:
1. Visiting 360.cultureinconstruction.com.au to access the virtual consultation hub
2. Following us on LinkedIn
3. Sharing this opportunity to improve our industry
The Culture Standard is expected to be finalised by the end of this year. Implementation pilots are due to start in NSW and Victoria in 2022, with results to be shared with all jurisdictions to support a national approach to these issues.
