COMPANY NEWS
MATES in Construction with Interflow’s South Australian team.
Destigmatising poor mental health in the construction sector In Australia, construction workers are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than the general population. Determined to break down the stigma associated with mental health and promote open conversations in its workplace, Interflow recently engaged MATES in Construction to educate its workforce about suicide in the construction industry. The truth about suicide rates in the construction industry The construction sector employs more than 1 million Australians, making it one of the largest employing industries in the country. There are well-documented factors that contribute to the industry’s elevated suicide rates among workers, including limited job security, long work hours, frequent time spent working in isolation from friends and family, and the prevalence of ‘blokey’ worksite cultures where the disclosure of personal struggles can be met with unsupportive responses. Coupled with the common reluctance of men to seek help, the situation presents a perfect storm. With these factors in mind, there is a real need to implement an industry-wide strategy for addressing mental health and these alarming figures. With approximately 600 employees across Australia and New Zealand working in some of the toughest conditions to keep the 68 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA SEPTEMBER 2021
community’s essential water and sanitation services running year-round, Interflow has a commitment to invest in mental health. Interflow Senior HSE Business Partner Troy Dawson explains the inclusion of mental health and safety into its ‘Harm 2 Zero’ approach. “It is critical that organisations within the industry make an investment in mental health care to mitigate the risk of suicide or mental ill health among employees,” he says. “As awareness for mental health issues continues to emerge, we are moving into an era where it’s automatically and naturally incorporated into workplace health and safety.” Standing up for MATES in Construction As part of its commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of its employees, Interflow strives to keep conversations surrounding mental health open and honest. In addition to providing its employees with
access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and participating in nationwide events such as R U OK? Day and National Safe Work Month, the organisation’s South Australian team recently engaged MATES in Construction (MATES). Committed to taking a people-focused, industry-tailored response to the mentalhealth crisis, MATES has developed a suicide prevention program in partnership with industry, specifically designed to meet the needs of construction workers. MATES CEO Chris Lockwood explains why this tailored approach is necessary. “We decided to start from a position of the strengths that construction workers bring to the table. While men are commonly poor at seeking help, we also understood that men, and construction workers in particular, are terrific fixers and problem solvers,” he says. “We turned the usual approach to suicide prevention on its head, with the goal of building an industry of people
