14 Jun Men’s Health Week 2022
As part of International Men’s Health Week (June 13 – 19), our aim is to increase awareness of health risks that disproportionately impact men in construction and to encourage them to become more conscious of health problems they may have or potentially develop, as well as the confidence to act. As a company, we have a responsibility to protect our workers by reducing the impact of potential issues at work using risk assessments. It is also crucial for us to inform our staff on ways they can look after their health by adopting better habits which leads to increased productivity and a better work-life balance. At U&M we view ourselves as a family and therefore we are committed to encouraging a happy workforce to be able to serve our community to the best of our ability.
Stress and Mental Health
Low moods and stress are issues that most of us can relate to, specifically for men working in construction it can be heightened by its stressful nature. It’s important for men to look after their mental wellbeing by destigmatising conversations among colleagues regarding feelings and emotions, and by shifting their perspectives on how they can express themselves. Finding healthy outlets such as practising mindfulness and exercise to de-stress is important for preventing and managing depression and anxiety.
Eating Habits
Statistics show that only 1 in 4 men eats their recommended 5 a day. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is crucial to improving men’s health and wellbeing. Diets and eating habits have a major impact on mental and physical health which also plays a large role in preventing serious health issues such as obesity which can lead to developing bowel cancer and heart disease.
Exercise
Being physically active is a good way to manage your mental and physical health, 30-60 minutes of exercise consisting of ‘cardio’ and strength training each day is an effective way to manage your weight and improve your overall fitness. Finding a way to measure how active and inactive you are can be very useful to keep track of your progress; this can be done using wearable technology or simply counting how many reps of each exercise as well as logging the number of weights you lift each week.
What we do
We also provide adequate protection for our workers to ensure that they do not suffer long-term health issues specifically linked to construction hazards such as asbestos, silica, solvents, lead or other hazardous substances. By conducting and regularly updating risk assessments we aim to ensure that our workers are educated on these risks in line with (COSHH) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. We also provide training and guidance on manual handling and use of PPE according to Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Furthermore, we encourage our employees to communicate any issues that they may have regarding their health or tasks that they have been assigned, as we aim to provide viable solutions for the betterment of our work environment to increase employee satisfaction.
