The construction industry is a huge part of our society, shaping the skylines of the city and providing homes, amenities and buildings that become the life and soul of a community. However, there has long been a mental health crisis in the industry that has spiralled into the likes of depression and addiction.

It’s a crisis that has been difficult to fix. Pre-pandemic, a study of construction workers saw 35% say they’d seen a colleague work under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, and that figure will have undoubtedly risen since that period as the stresses of everyday life continues to grow.

The demanding nature of construction work, which is characterised by high-pressure deadlines, long hours and physical labour, alongside a macho image it can’t shape has long shaped the workers in it, turning to a pint of beer at lunch or a skinful post work.

According to the Chartered Institute of Building, that’s contributed to approximately 30% of workers in the UK abusing substances, with many ending up in the likes of alcohol rehab UK centres or seeking treatment.

Of course, it’s not just an issue in construction. It’s something that’s affecting many industries, including the likes of hospitality and white collar workers. However, given the importance of the role, and the heavy machinery that often needs operating within it, that can create serious dangers.

The impact can be huge, from productivity and timelines to the danger it puts not only on the person under the influence of substances on site, but all their colleagues too, risking accidents as well as poor final products which could compromise the integrity of the entire project. Unlike hospitality, office work and other roles, there really is a danger to life.

Construction firms are addressing the situation and are doing so in a much more efficient way over the last few years. The awareness being raised to try and destigmatise the situation is one crucial step in fostering a culture of openness, while more rigid drug and alcohol policies, that include testing are also now in place.

Importantly, access to counselling services and employee assistance programmes are also now being put in place for anyone who is struggling to seek the help they need. That in turn is encouraging people to speak up and overcome their addiction struggles without necessarily losing their job, removing the fear factor and allowing people to get back on track.

The effect this is having is encouraging and over the years we may see the reputation and macho image of drinking and drug taking move away from construction as it becomes more of an environment that looks after its workers and puts the worker at the heart of what it does.

Of course, there’s still a long way to go but with more people confident enough to seek help, it’s destigmatising the issue, raising awareness and that’s only going to be a good thing for the next generation of worker coming through the ranks.