Thu, 14 Nov 2019

The construction and building industries can be dangerous places to work. These jobs not only pose risks to a person's physical health, but can threaten their mental health, too.

In Australia, "tradies" make up less than one-third of all people in employment, but represent 58% of serious claims for workers' compensation. Construction ranks in the top three for industries with the highest work-related injury or illness and deaths related to traumatic injury.


The physically demanding work tradespeople do has long been associated with male toughness and "macho" workplace cultures. But it's this toxic mentality that's largely responsible for tradies' poor mental health.


The stats on tradies' mental health and suicide



A 2017 report indicated the suicide rate is 24.2 per 100,000 male construction workers compared to 13.9 per 100,000 males in all other occupations - almost double.

Why do we have this problem?

Research into Australia's construction industry indicates workers can be on site for up to double their contracted work time. So long hours, resulting in fatigue and poor work-life balance, are likely affecting tradies' mental well-being.


A "macho" work culture emphasises self-reliance; there's an expectation tradespeople can withstand insecure and transient work arrangements.






What about women?


Our research and other work in the field has looked at the barriers women face to equity and inclusion in the construction and building industries. We've identified the "macho" culture as being harmful to women as well as men.

Based on our interviews with tradeswomen and industry stakeholders in New South Wales, it's clear bullying and harassment are very real issues for both genders.



What's being done?

The tightening of regulations, and particularly Safe Work Australia's continued focus on high risk industries, has meant tradies are physically safer on work sites today than they were a decade ago. On site fatalities in Australia declined by 48% between 2007 and 2017.




A program called "Bluehats" in Victoria aims to challenge the stereotype tough men don't have emotional or mental health problems. It offers tradies the option to undertake training to become a "bluehat volunteer", which enables them to provide support to workmates on site. The trained volunteers can be identified by their blue hats.

Read more: How challenging masculine stereotypes is good for men

Entrenched cultures can be hard to shift. There may be resistance to changes, be it procedures to ensure safer work practices, or new coworkers (women or men) who don't conform to the "macho" stereotype.

But this change is imperative. Maintaining physically and psychologically dangerous behaviours is killing tradespeople at work. As we continue to enact regulations to protect tradies' physical health, cultural change is essential for the improvement of their mental health, too.

Authors: Donna Bridges - Lecture of sociology, Charles Sturt University | Branka Krivokapic-Skoko - Economist and Economic Sociologist, Charles Sturt University | Elizabeth Wulff - Research Officer, Faculty of Arts & Education, Charles Sturt University | Larissa Bamberry - Senior Lecturer, School of Management and Marketing, Charles Sturt University The Conversation

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