Tradie suicide rates reach all-time high, alarming spike in calls for help from apprentices

Tradie suicide rates across Australia have reached an all-time high as figures show a spike in calls for help from our youngest blue-collar workers.

Tradie suicide rates have reached an all-time high. Picture: David Caird

Tradie suicide rates across Australia have reached an all-time high, as alarming new figures show a spike in calls for help from our youngest blue-collar workers.

The collapse of major construction businesses like Porter Davis earlier this year, concerns over being paid and harsh criticism from customers facing long delays are all taking a toll on the industry according to one of the state’s top building industry figures.

Australia’s largest home builder Metricon have also flagged concerns as they work to reduce stigmas around mental health discussions.

RELATED: High number of construction workers taking their own lives

Home builder Porter Davis in liquidation with work on 1500 properties stopped

Metricon offers proposal to help finish Porter Davis homes

Non-profit group This is a Conversation Starter (TIACS) said calls from apprentices had accounted for just 3 per cent of those ringing the service in May last year.

The free, nationwide counselling group for blue-collar industries revealed young construction workers were now responsible for almost one in 10 calls this year.

With multiple construction groups folding amid dire conditions for the building sector, tradies’ mental health has suffered.

TIACS head of partnerships Jason Banks said demand for the counselling service grew each month as workers struggled with the financial impact of business failures, relationship breakdowns, health challenges and workplace issues

“Tradies are doing it tough,” Mr Banks said.

“Building sites and manufacturing environments are busy, loud places where people don’t do a lot of one-on-one talking.

“They can also be very lonely and isolating places, yet these work environments can be places where people are struggling.”

Hutchinson Builders health and safety rep Kevin Elms has become an advocate for mental health and a confidant for his struggling workmates. Picture: David Caird

Industry fund Incolink recorded a threefold increase in requests for responses to critical incidents related to suicide in the past 12 months.

Chief executive Erik Locke said they were seeking to remove the stigma around mental health discussions, with an alarming one construction worker taking their life every two days.

“We run mental health awareness sessions on site where workers are, around 3700 workers have attended a prevention education program already this year,” Mr Locke said.

Incolink also attends critical incidents, operates a 24/7 counselling line for construction workers and provides free, in-person counselling sessions to workers and their families.

MORE: Victoria ‘the worst state to be a landlord’

Hannan’s masterpiece restored to original ‘70s charm by neighbour

Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Victorian president Tom Trevaskis said lingering supply constraints and heightened workloads for tradies were all “increasing the pressure”.

“Suppliers are worried about getting paid and customers have to wait twice as long as historic norms to get into their new homes,” Mr Trevaskis said.

“(Builders and tradies) have to take calls every day from unhappy customers and try to resolve these issues in an industry that has been stretched beyond capacity. This takes a toll.”

Building giant Metricon is also taking measures to support its employees and raise awareness surrounding mental health issues.

Builders and tradies are dealing with calls every day from disgruntled customers. Picture: Ian Currie

People, performance and culture general manager Merril Hotchkin said before the pandemic, the company had recognised managers were increasingly taking care of the mental health concerns of employees and trade partners.

Subsequent training revealed at least one manager in every session had been “personally or professionally impacted by suicide”.

“The reality is that the vast majority of people will experience some sort of suffering at some stage in their life; it’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s simply a matter of when,” Ms Hotchkin said.

The company currently has 41 teams who have raised more than $10,000 to support organisations like Lifeline and Movember as part of the Push-Up Challenge.

Latest Victorian Coroner’s Court figures showed 318 deaths by suicide at the end of May this year — the worst for the time frame in the past five years. More than 72 per cent were men.

Mental health training and counselling can help workers spot the signs when a colleague is struggling. Picture: David Caird

Informed Decisions’ analysis of the most recent ABS Census shows the construction industry makes up 9.4 per cent of Victorian industry sectors, while men account for a whopping 86 per cent of construction workers.

Australian construction, mining and energy suicide prevention charity Mates in Construction revealed in a study last year that suicide rates between 2011 and 2019 among male tradies were about twice that of other male workers.

Chief executive Chris Lockwood warned that national suicide rates among construction workers continued to surpass those of other occupations.

“Reducing suicide among construction workers should remain a top priority for government, organisations, and workplace suicide prevention initiatives,” Mr Lockwood said.

LOOK OUT FOR YOUR MATES

Kevin Elms said introducing free counselling and mental health training was one of the best things his union had done. Picture: David Caird

Hutchinson Builders health and safety representative Kevin Elms became an advocate for tradies’ mental health after his friend in the industry attempted suicide.

When his union introduced Incolink’s counselling service, Mr Elms completed the mental health training available to better support his co-workers.

“In our industry we work long hours, six days a week and sometimes guys have to travel one and a half hours to work and back home,” he said.

“I was seeing a lot of guys struggling and that’s when I put my hand up to do the training. I learnt a lot from the counsellors about looking out for the signs like body language … I’ve picked up on guys when I can see they’re a bit off and now nine times out of 10 they say ‘actually I do have something up, can I speak with you’.”

Mr Elms added that the service was particularly helpful during Covid lockdowns when many of his workers had partners struggling while stuck at home.

“Through Incolink your immediate family have access to the counsellors as well,” he said.

“You get free ambulance cover and counselling for your family and kids. I even used the service last year when my father passed and I was struggling.”

He is also participating in this year’s Push-Up Challenge in which his worksite is sponsoring him, and has raised $1600 to date.

“I put videos on Facebook too and have had people who I haven’t heard from in years ring me and say they’ve been down but they saw my videos and it really helped,” Mr Elms said.

Support lines for tradies:

TIACS: 0488 846 988 or tiacs.org

Incolink: 1300 000 129 or incolink.org.au

.

---

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Proptrack reveals suburbs in Victoria where homes are now overvalued

Historic Queenscliff pub listed for sale with $6m+ price hopes

Safety Beach: Sailing champ lists waterfront house with wet bar made from repurposed yacht

[e-mail]