Balfour Beatty has continued its commitment to raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing in construction, through its sponsorship of an event for its Sellafield workforce.
According to Health and Safety Executive figures, 18% of reported work-related illnesses in the UK construction industry are the result of mental health problems such as stress, depression or anxiety and account for 400,000 working days lost each year*.
Through Balfour Beatty’s commitment to initiatives such as Mates in Mind, a programme delivered to the UK construction industry with the support of the Health in Construction Leadership Group, the company is driving forward a flexible and joined-up approach to break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health in construction.
The Mental Health & Wellbeing Event at Sellafield’s nuclear facility in Cumbria, echoed the importance of breaking down perceived barriers when it comes to talking about mental health. Rugby star, Danny Sculthorpe, discussed the challenges he had faced and encouraged the workforce to open up about mental health and talk freely about wellbeing.
Iain Wilson, nuclear director for Balfour Beatty said: “In a country where 42% of construction workers are likely to experience mental health issues, we are committed to creating a business with mental health and wellbeing at its heart.
“Balfour Beatty is delighted to work together with Sellafield Ltd and other construction companies, to raise awareness and foster an open culture where our employees feel able to talk about their mental health without feeling they will be judged.”
Sellafield Ltd’s Mark Sarrington said: “We all know how to deal with the traditional safety hazards on congested construction sites. However a change in someone’s behaviour, signs of stress, pressure and anxiety aren’t as easy to spot.
“We want to create an environment where our employees feel able to talk about their mental health and know where to go to for support."
Balfour Beatty’s 330 strong workforce delivers nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear decommissioning services as part of The Box Encapsulation Plant Delivery Team (BEPDT) and Silo Maintenance Facility (SMF) at Sellafield.
To find out more about the event at Sellafield, click here.
ENDS
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Cassie Farrar
Balfour Beatty
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Footnote
* According to HSE figures see: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction/index.htm
Notes to editors:
- Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 30,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
- Our main geographies are the UK, US and South East Asia. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
- Balfour Beatty’s Major Projects business delivers large-scale, complex infrastructure projects that keep the UK moving and the economy thriving. Employing over 2,000 people, the business operates within three principal markets: Transportation, Energy and Power and Industrial.
- Major Projects brings together the broad spectrum of capabilities and expertise from across the Balfour Beatty Group, working with the Rail, Power and M&E businesses to deliver innovative, bespoke engineering and construction solutions for our clients.
- Our current portfolio of projects includes the delivery of two major design and build contracts for High Speed 2; Crossrail’s Whitechapel and Liverpool Street Station tunnels, as well as the stations at Whitechapel and Woolwich; the tunnelling and marine works at Hinkley Point C; and the west section of the Thames Tideway tunnel, London’s new major super-sewer through central London. We are also the leading supplier to Highways England, providing world-class asset management capabilities on key routes such as the M25.
- Our legacy of iconic projects includes the Olympic Stadium transformation; Heathrow Airport Terminal 2; Blackfriars Station; the Olympic Aquatics Centre; and first Smart Motorway in the South West of England on the M4 and M5, improving journey safety and traffic capacity.
