Improving mental health for employees often comes down to how job sites are set up and whether or not safety precautions and regulations are properly put in place.
Mental health (or problems with it) is often very dependent on the environment in which someone is working. So, it’s no wonder that enhancing the inner workings of a job site will yield great results when it comes to improving the mental health of your workers.
Here, we’ll talk about mental health in the workplace, specifically in the construction industry. We’ll also provide 4 tips to enhance the setup and safety culture on construction sites, all with one goal in mind: improving mental health!
The mental health situation in the workforce is not one to be overlooked. Across industries, mental health issues are growing in severity. In construction, especially, suicide rates are high, and rates of alcohol and substance abuse are also reaching worrying proportions.
Addressing this problem is important for a number of reasons. Mental health issues and burnout can severely affect workers’ quality of life, and this, in turn, can affect productivity in the workforce. In construction, the reason for this is often credited as being because of the high-risk nature of the job.
Ironically, when mental health declines due to things like safety worries, safety issues often become even more prominent – not only in terms of mental health and stability but also on-site. Workers may become distracted or be under the influence on the job, leading to more safety risks.
So, what can we do to counteract these negative effects? We know that safety isn’t just about keeping people from falling or having accidents. It’s also about providing workers with peace of mind and a sense of security in their occupation. How, then, can we enhance our construction sites, keeping mental health in mind?
One of the best things you can do for your employee’s mental health is to foster a setting where managers and workers actively try to become aware of it and to understand it. It is in the understanding of the issue that it can become less stigmatized and more accepted. A sense of understanding will lead to a positive working environment.
Another way you can create a positive working environment is to work hard at formulating a company culture that prioritizes employee satisfaction.
This can be done in multiple ways. For example, afford your employees a voice, provide rewards and incentives for work well done, and ensure that managers and employees have positive relations. A happy workforce equals happy workers.
Always remember to approach this tip with compassion. Show your workers that you truly care about their mental state, and a positive workforce and environment will come naturally.
Hand-in-hand with a positive working environment comes a learning culture. This is easy to talk about and plan, but often very difficult to execute perfectly. In order to create an environment whereby learning is sought after, you need to really commit to it.
A company culture of learning, constant education, and training will always put your workers at the top of their game. What’s more, those who start taking in knowledge are often eager to keep up and learn more.
What you can do here is provide training, safety videos, talks and speeches, and workshops. Constant opportunities to learn and grow are great ways to improve your workers’ mindsets surrounding both their jobs as well as their mental states.
Whether you hold training on mental health or on safety, this tip can enhance job site setup and safety. And enhancing job site setup and improving safety both serve to improve your employees and their capabilities.
This is another way to promote a learning culture, but it gets its own section because of how helpful it can be as a standalone method. If you’ve ever seen signs displaying “__ days since an accident”, you’ll know what we’re talking about!
Visuals that allow workers to see their progress can do wonders for motivation. Then, there are visuals like safety aids and messages that you can place all over your job sites. These can warn employees of potential hazards, thus improving safety in a simple way.
You may also consider digital solutions in this case like digital signage or mobile apps like SkillSignal.
These provide workers with real-time updates on the goings-on of the construction sites they’re working on. They can also provide safety resources and training so that workers are always well-equipped to handle any task.
Keeping your employees up to date and in the know is necessary on job sites. Not only does it promote safety, but it improves mental health by alleviating pressure and stressors.
This one is obvious, but it needs to be mentioned because of how much it can help in enhancing your job sites and thus improve the mental health of workers. The tip here is that you need to provide all the proper equipment and eliminate all potential hazards.
If you want your workers to have a positive working experience, in a positive environment, one of the best things you can do is invest in their safety. Do this by providing them with equipment that is up to date and well-maintained.
Always remember to comply with OSHA standards, conduct assessments to identify and mitigate risks and avoid hazardous environments where possible.
A worker who feels they are cared about by their employer and looked out for is more often than not a more satisfied worker.
By making sure that your workers feel safe and satisfied on-site, you can start making moves towards improving mental health overall!
It is clear that mental health in the construction industry can be improved by promoting learning, positivity, and, most of all, safety on your construction job sites.
Check out SkillSignal’s website and mobile solutions today.
Our app can streamline communication, improve data capturing, and provide you with the resources needed to improve mental health on construction job sites.
Are you interested in learning more? Contact us today at: 917-745-6877 or info@skillsignal.com.
https://www.appspace.com/resources/blog/6-steps-maintaining-safe-workplace
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