Construction work naturally comes with many risks to health and safety, and control measures are heavily focused on physical hazards to counter this.
However, it is important to remember the role stress plays in health and safety challenges faced by those in the construction industry.
In the UK 22.1 million Working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25.
Chronic stress is also known to be closely linked to increased risk of conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
Why is there a high risk of stress in construction?
There are a number of reasons that construction poses a high risk of stress. On a macro level there are often tight deadlines with high risk and cost ventures creating a level of stress inherent in projects from the outset.
The nature of employment adds to that stress, with more than half the construction sector self employed and large portions of the workforce on short term contracts pressure on employment contributes.
The nature of the work itself is often stressful. Tasks can be high risk with regards to safety, such as working at height or confined spaces or being exposed to prolonged periods of noise and vibration.
What are the health and safety risks of stress in construction?
Along with the negative health impacts stated above, statistics show that in the UK in men under 45 suicide is the main cause of death. And those who work in construction are three times more likely to commit suicide than other industries.
Construction is a male-dominated industry with the majority of the workforce being men, alongside the high levels of stress in construction is it easy to join the dots.
The health-related impacts of long-term stress are well known, however, there are less clear daily risks stress poses to safety.
Stress can cause irritability and anger, making established communication channels strained that can lead to a break down in leadership and safety procedures.
Stress is also linked to fatigue, low energy or even drink or drug problems; all of which can hinder ability to operate dangerous tools and machinery with potentially fatal consequences.
How can you reduce stress in the construction industry?
There are a number of keys measures that employers can take to combat the effects of stress on construction sites.
At the very basic level adequate, clean and accessible welfare areas should be provided to provide a place for workers to take a break and rest.
Above that recognising stress as an issue and raising its profile within the workforce should be a priority.
Providing adequate training to employees to recognise the signs of stress and how to take action is essential and can be provided fairly easily through toolbox talks or even certified awareness training.
Finally, it is becoming more common for employers to set up an employee assistance program. These programmes provide a range of services and can be great for staff to access a range of tools to help deal with their stress levels.
How can WA Management help?
WA Management offer a Stress Awareness course suitable for all employees including managers, to help identify and manage work-related stress.
Stress Awareness and Mindfulness courses are essential tools in ensuring wellbeing in the workplace. Make sure you don’t miss out on our 10% off deal on these courses, available until the end of January. Simply enter the code ‘stress10’ at checkout to save!
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