Addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace

As we get deeper into the winter months the inclement weather conditions and lessening natural light, all begin to increase the burden on operatives to get the job done and, potentially leaving them feeling pressured to lift more equipment and overload themselves physically to meet the demands of the job.

A large percentage of the injuries sustained were to the upper limb or neck and then to the back and lower limbs.

At the recent Scaffolding Association AGM, Joscelyne Shaw, Executive Director of the charity, began her presentation on Mates in Mind’s work with a shocking statistic – that with every suicide, up to 135 other lives may be impacted.

The positive news is the rate of selfreported work-related musculoskeletal disorders have taken a downward trend, but more work needs to be done.

You can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries when manual handling by introducing a number of control methods:

ELIMINATION Scaffold workers should try and avoid lifting manually where possible through the use of mechanical means, like using forklifts, telescopic handlers or hoists to move equipment within the work area.

LOAD

Is the load: Heavy?

Bulky or cumbersome?

Difficult to grasp?

Unstable, with contents likely to shift?

Environment

Are there:

Space constraints?

Uneven, slippery or unstable floor surfaces?

Extremes in temperature or inclement weather?

Poor lighting conditions?

HANDLING AIDS Using a trolley or gin wheel when moving equipment won’t eliminate the manual handling activity however the mechanical advantage will provide additional assistance.

MODIFICATION Modifying the task, load or environment can greatly reduce the risk of injury. Examples include:

The task of repetitive movements or awkward postures can be relieved with frequent breaks

Loads can be broken down into smaller parts

The risks associated with loads over 20kgs should be mitigated through the use of suitable lifting equipment

Maintaining good housekeeping will keep the working environment clear and free from trip hazards

Planning suitable vehicle routes, close to the work area will reduce carrying distances

TRAINING After establishing that an individual is capable of undertaking the manual handling activity providing training on basic lifting practices, and ensuring they have the appropriate PPE are important factors in risk reduction. Lifting techniques for different materials such as boards, ladders and tubes all have their own challenges; even light loads picked up incorrectly can cause injury. Guidance documents like SG6:15 provide workers with the fundamentals when manual handling.

The HSE MAC tool provides three types of manual handling operations to be assessed for single lift, single carry and team handling. You can then develop a risk assessment that will evaluate, for example, how many tubes or boards are sufficient to carry, or the maximum load for a gin wheel (50kgs).

Talking about mental health and talking about employers being responsible for mental health and wellbeing is still an issue that some don’t believe should be dealt with at work. And though only a few may challenge this discussion openly given the groundswell, it is important to recognize that not everyone is convinced that this is something that it’s an employer’s responsibility directly. I think this is worth unpacking.

This is why Mates in Mind is so important – we are looking to create the clarity as well as confidence for employers to understand what it is that they need to be thinking about when looking to address mental health. We are not expecting everyone to be experts in occupational health, psychology or even psychiatry. But ignorance of what may be legal duties is not enough.

Employers’ legal obligation

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999), as an organisation, employers have a legal obligation to protect their employees from stress at work by undertaking a risk assessment and acting upon on it. This applies not only on an organisational level, but also at a departmental/divisional and employee level.

What’s more, we would argue that there is a strong moral as well as clear business case to be addressing this issue.

Findings from recent reports have shown that it is evident, mental ill-health is a widespread issue costing UK businesses significant tangible amounts every year.

Statistics highlight the impact

According to the Health and Safety Executive, forty-four per cent of work-related ill health cases were attributed to stress, depression or anxiety, which amounted to

Some of the barriers to addressing mental health at work

Industry machoism

Sounds expensive

Not MY job!

Isn’t this what the NHS is for?

No one else does it

Can’t we just say we are doing it? Can we just stick a poster up?

Ignorance

15.4 million working days lost in 2017/18.

The British Safety Council report Not Just Free Fruit, released in 2018, found that “…the most noteworthy and worrying factor is the ongoing rise of mental health issues, including stress, depression, anxiety and other psychological and psychiatric disorders. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports an increase in the proportion of younger workers aged 25 to 34, who attribute their sickness absence to mental health conditions, rising from 7.2% in 2009 to 9.6% in 2017.”

Further evidence as to the impact was provided in the Centre for Mental Health report published in 2017 that estimated the overall cost of not addressing mental health problems to UK employers to almost £35 billion, or £1,300 per employee. For a business considering their bottom line, regardless of size, this can quickly add up.

Where do we start to help?

There are practical ways in which employers can help colleagues within the working environment. A starting point is that workers need to acknowledge and look after their own mental health. Increasing awareness and understanding is a key first step in a journey towards a culture of prevention. Importantly running alongside this is the sense too that managers should not be fearful of broaching the subject. If the culture is to change in a workplace, managers need much more information and guidance on how to spot the signs of illness. This guidance needs to help them to initiate a conversation with a worker and the tools to continue the conversation in an appropriate way moving forward.

We can all make a difference

It’s tragic enough that someone may have reached that point that they take their life. Looking at the faces in the room at the AGM, it was evident again for me as to what is being done is so important, and there is a role for everyone across the industry to do their part – whether to prevent the repeat of an experience for someone they are working with, or as a legacy of someone they once knew. FIND

Welcome To New Scaffolding Association Members

Scaffold Erection

All Access Scaffolding Limited www.all-access.co.uk

ASC Scaffolding Limited www.ascscaffolding.com

Barclay Scaffolding Limited 01268 559353

Castle Scaffolding (Northern) Limited www.castlescaffold.co.uk

Crest Scaffolding Services Limited www.crestscaffolding servicesltd.co.uk

Gold Scaffolding Limited 07508 008776

Gorilla Access Services Limited www.gorillaaccess.co.uk

Hailsham Scaffolding Limited www.hailshamscaffolding.co.uk

Kingsley Scaffolding Limited www.kingsleygroup.co.uk

Martin Scaffolding & Netting Services www.martinscaffolding services.co.uk

Multi Access Scaffolding Limited

01226 934431

Norfolk and Suffolk Scaffolding Limited www.norfolkandsuffolk scaffoldingltd.co.uk

Northville Scaffolding Limited www.northvillescaffolding.co.uk

Omega Scaffolding Services Limited www.omegascaffolding.co.uk

Skyline Access Scaffolding Limited www.skylineaccessscaffolding.co.uk

SWC Scaffolds Limited www.swcscaffolds.co.uk

Thurrock Scaffolding Services Limited www.thurrockscaffolding.com

Service Providers

Brisko Metal Resources www.brisko.co.uk

Caspian Group Limited www.caspiangroup.co.uk

Highland Temporary Works Limited www.htwdesign.co.uk

Northover Trucks 01258 472619

Raprig Design Limited www.raprig.co.uk

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JPS Scaffolding help with memorial restorations

JPS Scaffolding erected a full scaffold with supports at the top to the Pilgrim Father’s Memorial, at the shoreline of Mayflower Park and Southampton’s historic walls. The memorial was built in 1913, to mark and honour the departure of The Mayflower and Speedwell, which departed from Southampton Quay in 1620, heading for the Americas. The restoration and repairs are being undertaken in readiness for the 400th anniversary of their sailings.