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Published May 13, 2019 · Updated May 13, 2019

Mental Health Awareness Week

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 will take place from Monday 13th to Sunday 19th May 2019. The theme for 2019 is Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies. In 2018, Mental Health Awareness Week was focused on stress.

This years theme has a relevant to anyone who reads our blogs. The way we view our bodies can effect our mental health.

The Mental Health Foundation are providing a host of resources to help celebrate the week from posters to booklets, please follow here.

Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but this week is a great time to have a chat with a friend,family member or colleague and have think about your own wellbeing too. You could even join one of our campaigns to help make sure no one experiences a mental health problem alone.

Resource Body Image

March 25, 2019

Tips for talking about mental health at work

The Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) has shared 10 tips for how to open the discussion about mental health with workers.

Research by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests that one in four people in the UK will have mental ill health at some point, but talking about mental health with colleagues can be challenging.

IOSH says some key ways for talking about mental health with workers on a one-to-one basis include the following.

Choose an appropriate place. This should be somewhere private and quiet, at work or a neutral place outside of work.
Encourage people to talk. It can be difficult to talk about mental health. Asking simple open questions and letting people speak about their issues in their own words will help.
Don’t make assumptions. The person may not need help or may feel they are able to manage the mental ill-health symptoms themselves.
Listen to workers and respond flexibly. Being aware of different types of workplace adjustments that you could offer before the conversation will be useful.
Be honest and clear. If there are concerns about high absence levels or low performance, these need to be addressed at an early stage.
Ensure confidentiality. Workers need to feel that anything they say will be kept as confidential as possible and in accordance with any data protection laws. Ask them if you can share the information with specific people, eg human resources (HR), and make sure you get their agreement to do so.
Develop an action plan. An individual plan can help to identify a worker’s mental ill health, what their triggers are, possible impacts on work, who to contact in a crisis and what support they need. The plan also needs to specify review dates so that any support measures put in place can be monitored to see if they are working.
Encourage workers to seek advice and support. A person should be encouraged to seek help themselves if they haven’t already. Many organisations have employee/worker assistance programmes (EAP) that can offer counselling or helplines.
Seek advice and support yourself. If you feel unable to support the employee or need advice on how to help, seek advice from HR or occupational health.
Reassure workers. Remember that people may not want to talk straight away. If they don’t, it’s important to let them know what support is available and that whenever they feel able to talk, you will make sure that they get the support they need.

With thanks to IOSH.

Published February 25, 2019 · Updated February 25, 2019

Ways to improve well being in construction

The construction sector is proving to be one of the worst cases for staff well being. In this blog we have looked in to the problem and what solutions are available. There is also some great resources to download click here to skip to these.

Mental Health in Construction

Worrying data from the Office of National Statistics found that between 2011 and 2015, of the 13,232 in-work suicides recorded, those within the skilled construction and building trades made up 13.2% – despite construction accounting for little over seven percent of the UK workforce.

Several reasons have been suggested for particularly poor health, safety and well-being figures in the construction industry, including the large numbers of transitory workers. In a workforce which is predominantly male, specific risks associated with male mental health also need to be considered. The “tough guy” image, which is widespread within the construction industry, is very much to blame. Asking for help and opening up about do not come naturally to many of those working in this particular industry. You can imagine eyes glazing over at yet another health and safety induction. Meanwhile, there is a suspicion that some of the smaller companies are less committed to health and safety principles. Continue reading →

Published February 11, 2019 · Updated July 25, 2019

Employee Fact sheet: Stress at Work

Understanding stress

Understand what “stress” really means

Stress is something which we will all experience at different times in our lives. It will occur when we perceive that we are experiencing levels of pressure that we find difficult to cope with (ie either too much or too little pressure). A certain level of pressure, or challenge, is necessary to enable us to get the most out of life, but pressure should not be confused with stress. Stress, mismanaged, can cause both mental and physical illness.

Some common causes of stress

Bereavement.
Serious illness of a loved one.
Moving house.
Excessive workload.
Loneliness.
Financial worries.
Home/work conflicts.
Boredom.
Relationship problems.
Being bullied or harassed.

Some common effects of stress

High levels of anxiety.
Low self-esteem.
Inability to concentrate
Being more prone to accidents.
Headaches/migraine.
Depression.
Panic attacks.
Chest pains.
Stomach problems.
Relationship problems.

Proven coping strategies for managing stress

Turning to food, alcohol or nicotine does not work, and might worsen the situation. Try some of the coping strategies below instead.

Learn to recognise your own early warning signs — you might, for example, find yourself becoming very anxious, irritable or tearful.
Work out what is really causing you stress. It is all too easy to blame one source. In reality stress usually comes from a variety of sources, one of which might even be you. Do you ever question the expectations you have of yourself and others? Review what action you could take to reduce or eliminate the things that are causing you stress.
Make time for a short period of relaxation every day. Do something which you enjoy and which fits into your life. This does not need to be difficult or time-consuming.
Do not give up on exercise or feel it is a waste of time. Make sure you make time for moderate exercise each day, such as swimming or walking. It will make you feel fitter and far more in control.
Eating and drinking sensibly can really help. Try and ensure that you:
- eat a balanced diet, and do not skip breakfast — it will boost your energy levels
- eat complex carbohydrates, eg pasta and wholemeal bread, rather than refined carbohydrates, eg cakes and pastries, as this can help keep your sugar levels in balance and prevent mood swings
- eat lots of fruit and vegetables, as this can help support your immune system which is often affected when an individual is under stress
- drink plenty of water, as this will help rehydrate your body and flush out toxins
- keep your intake of alcohol and caffeine within sensible limits — caffeine is not just in tea and coffee, but is also found in chocolate and some cola drinks.
Manage your time effectively. Cut out time wasting and establish priorities by identifying what you:
- must do
- should do
- like to do.
Learn to say “no”. It is easy to find yourself with too much to do because you take on too much. Alternatively, make a compromise — accept the work but explain you will not be able to do it for several weeks.
If you feel you have insufficient challenges in your life, set yourself some new goals — ones that are realistic and achievable.
It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Other people can often be very helpful and give practical and useful advice. If you need help, turn to someone you trust or contact one of the national helplines. Your own GP can also be supportive at these times.

If you require advice, please contact Walker Health and Safety Services.

Published October 22, 2018 · Updated November 21, 2018

Wellbeing: Quick Facts

Employee wellbeing is concerned with both the physical and emotional health of employees, helping to prevent problems arising or, if they do, helping employees to cope with them so as to have a minimal impact on their work — in short, to be more resilient.

Wellbeing is a multi-layered subject, involving not just the human resources department but the health and safety profession as well.

This topic discusses why employers should invest in employee wellbeing programmes and how employers can help improve the welfare of their employees. Continue reading →