The Australian building and construction industry has recognised that for over 10 years the industry experiences significantly higher rates of suicide and mental health issues amongst our workers when compared to the general population. In response to this, the industry has stepped forward and developed programs and support mechanisms that are genuinely innovative and see the Australian building and construction industry positioned at the international forefront of work to address suicide and mental health through the workplace. We recognise though that more needs to be done to ensure that the whole industry is better aligned to the goals of reducing the tragically high rates of suicide, and delivering better mental health outcomes for all in building and construction. That’s why MATES in Construction with support from Beyond Blue worked with the industry to drive the development of a Blueprint that can guide the important next steps in getting a stronger framework in place for better mental health and suicide prevention across the building and construction industry.
