Support Better Mental Health for Your Construction Crew in 3 Innovative Ways

Mental health in the construction industry is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of overall well-being. Construction workers face unique challenges that can negatively affect their mental health, including demanding work schedules, physical strain, job insecurity, and often a lack of access to mental health resources.

At Best Access Doors, we are committed to producing the best access solutions available, supporting mental health, and advocating for improving mental health in construction. Read on for three innovative ways to support your construction crew.

#1 Create and Maintain a Safe and Efficient Work Environment

Consider the fact that there are around 150,000 construction accident injuries every year. Construction workers face the most grueling and physically demanding workplaces on the spectrum in environments that are ripe with psychological risk factors (PSR). PSRs are workplace variables that have the potential to deteriorate overall well-being, such as:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Demoralization
• Depression
• Burnout

The reality of potentially being injured in an unsafe, dimly lit, dirty, and undermaintained work environment is guaranteed to increase all the risk factors above. Stress culminates in burn-out and sustained time off—or worse, substance abuse.

It is no surprise that the industry with among the highest rates of worker fatalities also has the highest rates of substance abuse and suicide. Operating within an environment that contributes to constant stress, anxiety, fatigue, and burnout every day inevitably results in a bleak outlook and a diminished locus of control.

As workers become immersed in their issues, they tend to isolate and self-medicate to escape from the present moment. The priority should be to prevent this from happening in the first place by encouraging a present, active, and engaged mind while also maintaining a high standard of safety products and protocols.

By emphasizing and practicing the fundamentals, such as proper lifting techniques and regular awareness of the present moment, crew members will get into the habit of monitoring their mental and physical state.

Regular hydration and nutrition breaks for workers can also maintain the presence of mind. A nourished, hydrated mind is better able to focus on the present moment. Workers can maintain focus while working more diligently and vigilantly. Vigilant workers are better at recognizing and neutralizing PSRs that contribute to decreased well-being.

Investing in the right equipment also goes a long way to ensuring peace of mind. When making product choices, it is always best to choose OSHA-certified offerings, which maintain a higher standard for safety features.

When you are installing a floor hatch for below-ground solutions, for example, ensure that the model maintains a smooth, unbothered surface to minimize snags and trips. Install secure guide rails and support systems on all elevated platforms and regularly inspect and maintain machinery, tools, and equipment.

Taking a holistic approach to minimizing PSRs increases employee agency and involvement in minimizing hazards while investing in the right equipment, demonstrating to crewmembers that you are invested in their well-being. This equates to an enhanced safety culture where workers are more proactive, focused, and engaged.

#2 Keep a Pulse on Your Crew

It is no secret that the construction industry values grit, determination, and working through pain and discomfort. However, these virtues come at a heavy cost to well-being. The perceived "weakness" associated with seeking help when it is needed maintains a vicious cycle of prolonged suffering and reduced performance.

The Center for Workplace Mental Health studies reveals that the main impediments to seeking help, ranked in order, are:

• Shame and Stigma
• Fear of Judgement by Peers
• Fear of Negative Job Consequences
• Not Knowing How to Access Care

These perceptions are both relics from a bygone era in construction and assumptions that do not have to be maintained. Break the cycle by maintaining a work environment where support for mental health is frequently acknowledged and encouraged.

Creating a tight-knit environment not only fosters better communication, teamwork, and productivity but also allows more transparency in all aspects. This communication breaks down barriers that exist between coworkers and supervisors, allowing for more vulnerability—without the fear of judgment.

How do you get workers to buy in? Everything starts with leadership and trickles down through the chain of command. Having the head of the crew and leadership involved in the discussions creates an open forum for transparency from the outset. Expectations, milestones, and achievements are made clear from the outset while also promoting a culture where workers feel comfortable discussing their mental health challenges.

Having weekly or daily pulse checks is excellent for addressing mental roadblocks and challenges on the road to achieving team goals. Setting these expectations keeps everyone focused on the ultimate objective while also challenging crew members to look inward and voice their concerns if necessary.

Getting in the habit of regular introspection and advocating for oneself may seem daunting initially, as stigmas still exist. However, making the exercise a regular occurrence reinforces your commitment to your crew while also creating a zone of understanding and empathy.

#3 Invest Heavily in Employee Well-Being

Taking a proactive approach to maintaining your crew's well-being will save you time, effort, and expenses in the long run. The impacts of COVID-19 have shifted worker sentiment to prioritize safety and well-being. As a result, the revolving door of construction is even faster, with higher turnover rates—in an industry that is already facing labor shortages.

Keeping your crew intact and active is the best way to achieve company objectives and goals, as it saves the time of having to replace and train new employees.

Implementing Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that are front and center eliminates any ambiguity. Mitigating these costs as employee benefits or complementary services is an investment that will reap massive rewards in the long term. When crew members can easily and confidentially access affordable services to vent their frustrations or get professional help, they will be more likely to take advantage of them.

Due to the grueling and demanding nature of the construction, the industry requires the most easily accessible and highest-quality programs. By making access easy, convenient, and confidential, you will take major steps towards supporting a better, more sustainable, more supportive workforce.

Investing time to increase your knowledge base for employee wellness and well-being will also pay dividends. Count on high-quality blogs such as ours to stay up to date on the industry's gold standard for wellness tips, mental hacks for productivity and efficiency, and much more!

Simply the Best

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With warehouses from coast to coast, we pride ourselves on our extensive product offerings, shipping speeds, and timely delivery. Experience the advantage today for yourself!