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Similarly to Australia, New Zealand’s construction industry is struggling with the issue of mental health problems and a high suicide rate.
A study by the Building Research Association found that 6.9 per cent of overall suicides were in the construction industry.
An organisation SiteSafe has been given funding to look into the coronial findings of over 300 suicides in the construction industry to identify any trends that may be leading to this high suicide rate among construction workers in that country.
The Australian programme “Mates in Construction” is one idea being used as an example, with it having helped here at home. In Tasmania it has reached more than 120,000 workers and suicide rates have declined. It is hoped a similar approach may help New Zealand’s construction workers.
