FOCUS MENTAL HEALTH
POSITIVE
THINKING
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improved its record in terms of
physical health and safety. Sara
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36 FEBRUARY 2019
Russell Stilwell is a successful
businessman and founder of RS
Electrical Contractors, a mechanical,
engineering and plumbing specialist
serving the construction and FM industry.
But back in 2010 he found himself coping
with extreme anxiety and depression.
He tried to ignore it and continued on
until, as he describes it: “I couldn’t fight
it anymore and I was starting to become
someone that my family and I didn’t
recognise.” He adds that if he hadn’t
received professional help, he probably
wouldn’t be here today.
Sadly, his experiences are not unusual.
Research suggests that suicide kills far more
workers in construction than falls. According
to HSE statistics, one in six workers in the UK
experiences depression, anxiety or stress,
and 91 million work days are lost as a result
of mental health-related problems.
While the male-dominated construction
and FM sectors have improved their record
in terms of physical health and safety,
safeguards for employees’ mental wellbeing
is not as well resourced. According to Stilwell,
FM and construction go to great lengths to
mitigate risks on site – but do little to notice,
reduce or mitigate the risks associated with
mental ill-health.
Aƒ er overcoming his own anxiety and
depression, Stilwell went on to champion
mental wellbeing within his firm and the
wider FM and construction sector, sharing
his story at the o„ icial launch of the charity
Mates in Mind in September 2017. Following
a successful pilot programme between
February and June 2017, Mates in Mind was
rolled out across the sector by the Health in
Construction Leadership Group (HCLG), with
the support of the British Safety Council. Its
aim is to raise awareness, address the stigma
of poor mental health and improve mental
wellbeing in the UK construction industry.
Steve Hails is Director of Health, Safety
and Wellbeing at Tideway, the company
delivering the Thames Tideway Tunnel, and
Chair of Mates in Mind: “We set ourselves
a target of reaching 100,000 people in year
one and 75 per cent of the industry by 2025.
The charity currently has 188 supporters
whose direct employment accounts for
over 185,000 employees, so we’re on track.
We need to ensure, though, that it’s not
just about training and education, it’s the
whole approach that Mates in Mind brings,
providing support across organisations.”
He continues: “Mental health awareness
isn’t a light-switch moment as something
you can solve overnight. You need to
have commitment from the most senior
people within the organisation that this
is something they want to address. Mates
in Mind can then o„ er a range of support
and access to a variety of resources that
allow that foundation to be put in place
within the organisation. It’s then about how
you introduce and upskill and address the
stigma.”
The process, he explains, works in three
stages. First is a two-day mental health
first aid course which gives people a
greater understanding of the causes, and
avenues that might be explored to provide
co-workers with support and to act as a