World Suicide Prevention Day

Kia kahu taatou i a taatou, together we are stronger.

Today, Friday 10th September is World Suicide Prevention Day. This is an important day for the Cook Brothers Construction team to recognise because, sadly, the construction industry in NZ has the highest rate of suicide out of all other sectors in NZ. 

Some sobering facts:

• Tragically we lose at least ONE person to suicide in our industry every week. 
• We are six times more likely to lose someone to suicide in our industry than a workplace accident. 
• We are a heavily male-dominated industry, and 99% of suicides within Construction are male. 

According to the Ministry of Health, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in New Zealand regardless of gender or ethnicity. It can affect all of us, and we all have a part to play in preventing it. The theme for this year's World Suicide Prevention Day is to create hope through action. 

To create hope through action, the team at Cook Brothers Construction will connect in person and virtually, on and off their sites, to acknowledge this important day and spread the word that it's okay to talk about mental health. Tonight, we encouraged you to light a candle at 8 pm and show your support for suicide prevention, to remember a lost loved one and for the survivors of suicide.

In the words of our Mates in Construction whanau – "It's okay not to be okay, but it's not okay not to do anything about it." This declaration will be used within our team today and every day as the starting point for our courageous conversations. We will always encourage our team to explore what self-care looks like, recognise and acknowledge the signs to look for, check in and focus on how we can support each other better. 

Are you okay?

For our team, their whanau and our community, we want to ensure that we keep talking, keep listening because "together we are stronger". 

Remember, 

• It is important to talk about mental health and wellbeing with openness and without judgement.
• In the construction industry, psychological wellness is crucial to us to be able to perform our roles safely and effectively. We need to normalise conversations around it to facilitate this. 
• Checking in with each other and starting courageous conversations is just as important as ensuring we have the right tool or methodology to complete a job.

Where to get help:

• In an emergency dial 111 if you think you, or someone else is at risk of harm. 
• Mates in Construction – call them on their MATES helpline 0800 111 315 24/7 
• Free phone or text 1737 to communicate immediately with a counsellor. 
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (text 4357)
• Depression Helpline, open 24/7: 0800 111 757
• Healthline: 0800 611 116
• Youthline: 0800 376633 (text 234) 
• Samaritans 0800 726 666

Natalie Fraser

People & Performance Manager

Cook Brothers Construction