In April 2018, organisations from across the UK construction sector will take part in a national Stop. Make a Change event with sites, offices and production facilities putting work on hold focus on how we can work together to build a healthier, safety industry.

As part of this event, organisations have agreed to put in place a series of commitments that they will implement within their business over the coming year. To ensure that the industry has a common focus on some of the key health challenges that it faces, a panel of industry leaders have identified two key areas for these commitments. They are mental health, and plant safety.

Barhale supports ‘Stop. Make a Change’ 2018 and are pleased to make the following commitments:

 Mental Health

Led by our Occupational Health specialist and Health & Wellbeing Advisor, we commit to roll out a programme raising awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and aiming for early intervention with effective signposting to support services. We commit to delivering the following:

• Working with Mates in Mind to roll out a pilot ‘start the conversation’ training programme
• Support our Line Managers & Supervisors to identify and manage mental health and wellbeing matters in the workplace by delivering our in-house ‘Engineering Better Mental Health Management’ training
• Train Barhale employee representatives to act as on site Mental Health First Aiders

Plant Safety

We will continue to identify new innovations and techniques to further reduce the risks associated with moving vehicles/plant in the workplace. We commit to embedding the industry recognised ‘Thumbs Up’ campaign with plant operators and operational personnel to further raise awareness with the risks associated with moving plant and people interfaces.  We will engender a risk aware culture to prevent people being caught in the ‘Line of Fire’.

We will use the Stop. Make a Change event to explain and promote these commitments to our workforce.

We agree to work with colleagues across the industry to discuss the outcomes of these commitments, and share the best practice that arises from them.

There will be further communications on arrangements in advance of 16th April 2018

For further information about ‘Stop. Make a Change’, please click here