News

48% of UK Construction Workers Have Taken Time Off Due to Unmanageable Work Loads

News

Over the past decade, the construction sector has done a fantastic amount of work to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues.

For example, in 2016, The Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG) together with the British Safety Council, launched ‘Mates in Mind’ – a charity that aims to promote positive mental health across all organisations in the UK.

There has also been a huge amount of work done within construction companies, for example:

• Awareness Campaigns: Many companies are launching mental health awareness campaigns and encouraging open communication about real-life challenges.
• Readily Available Mental Health Resources: Most contractors offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), helplines, and access to charity support.
• Training & Peer Support: Mental Health First Aiders are being introduced into lots of workplaces to help recognise and support with the early signs of mental distress.
• Introduction of Mental Health Policies & Charters: Companies are developing and implementing clear policies that outline their commitment to workplace support.
• Work-Life Balance: Some organisations are implementing ‘mental health’ days and flexible working arrangements to help offer a better work-life balance.

These are all fantastic steps forward, but the fact of the matter is that construction workers are still struggling:

• A report released by Mates in Mind found that 48% of construction workers had taken days off work due to stress caused by unmanageable workloads.
• Vitality conducted a health and wellbeing survey across the construction industry (reported by HCLG, 2024). The research revealed that; 13% of workers have experienced burnout, 6% of construction workers suffer from depression, 18% have problems getting quality sleep, and 44% reported feeling ‘fatigued’ or ‘very tired’ at least once per week.
• A separate report, released by ‘On The Tools’ (reported by Sky News, 2024) found that 73% of construction workers have been affected by mental illness, and in the last decade, 7000 have taken their own lives.

So, it’s clear that, although there have been some big steps forward as a sector, more needs to be done – especially when it comes to tackling the issue at the source. The HCLG's Mental Health Working Group are currently looking at ways in which mental health can be factored into each stage of design and build on a construction project - thus reducing stress and other mental health concerns in the workplace.

Reducing Stress

Management teams are under a huge amount of pressure - managing budgets, meeting deadlines, liaising with suppliers, ensuring H&S compliance, managing team activities, prioritising staff welfare, staying on track with environmental targets… the list is endless! It’s a difficult balancing act, but having access to specialist suppliers could remove a lot of that stress.

This is where RVT can help. Our goal is to provide a hassle-free hazard control service, specifically designed to reduce stress and give you peace of mind. We can take on all the calculations, logistics, installation, and ongoing support – giving you one less thing to worry about!

How Do RVT Remove The Hassle From Hazard Control?

Discuss: You contact us with your challenge by phone, e-mail or through our website. We then ask you a series of questions to understand as much about the project as possible, and if required, we send one of our technical consultants to site, to ensure it is scoped correctly. Don’t worry, this consultancy is completely free of charge!

Plan: Once we have all the information we need, our team begin developing a proposal for a fully compliant, reliable, and efficient hazard control solution. Depending on how complex your project is, we may supply you with a few different proposals containing drawings and calculations.

We will then talk you through the options, either on the phone or at a face-to-face meeting. This step is very important because our number one priority is to deliver you a solution that aligns with your priorities.

Depending on the complexity of the project, we can quote for a ‘drop-and-go’ service, a part-installed service, a fully commissioned service, or a fully commissioned service with ongoing engineer support. The bottom line is that we can offer you as much or as little support as you require.

Execute: Once you are happy with the proposal, we ask you to issue us with a PO and confirm what date you require the systems on site. We will calculate the RAMs and organise the logistics. We will then work with your teams to ensure we have all of the necessary clearances to begin work.

You will have access to our technical support team from the very start to very end of your project (by phone or in person) - ensuring that any problems are resolved immediately so that you do not experience any down time.

…Because at RVT, we don’t just provide solutions - we deliver peace of mind.

If you need support on site, please reach out to us:

Send us a message online

Or phone us on 0808 281 3150

One quick phone call could take a weight off your mind!

Don’t Forget: Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 12-18^th May 2025