New program targets construction suicide rates

A new program aimed at reducing suicide rates in the construction industry has been launched by redundancy fund Incolink in Victoria.

Over the past 18 months, the number of reported suicides has been on the rise, from one every six months two years ago, to around one every month in the past year.

Bluehats is Incolink’s new suicide prevention initiative, co-designed with the construction industry, to help workers experiencing suicidal thoughts by creating a culture of talking about the issue.

Incolink will train construction workers in a general awareness session and then provide a full-day training course for workers who will become an army of ‘Bluehats’ dedicated to tackling the issue.

CEO Dan O’Brien said on completion of the course all Bluehats will be offered support by Incolink member wellbeing and support counsellors to assist them in their duties.

“Mental health is a big issue in our industry and unfortunately too many of us know someone who has been impacted by suicide,” said O’Brien.

“The Bluehats will play a listening and connecting role on site and promote the conversation about suicide — thus the tagline for the campaign Let’s Talk.”

Incolink has been providing counselling support and mental health awareness to the Victorian construction industry for almost 30 years, but this dedicated program tackles a concerning trend.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of suicides in the Victorian construction industry. We just couldn’t keep watching the numbers rise and not step in so we’ve worked with unions and employers to develop the Bluehats program tailored to the Victorian construction industry,” said O’Brien.

“The first measure of success for Bluehats will be to initiate a conversation and start to remove some of the stigma. Ultimately, the objective is simple — get the numbers down and save lives.”

The program will be promoted through a social media advertising campaign targeted at Victorian construction workers and through peer to peer and ‘toolbox meetings’ across the state.

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