An industry study conducted by Site Safe and Massey University’s School of Built Environment has investigated the negative effects of work-related stress on productivity, and physical and emotional health of construction workers in New Zealand.
The paper, which is the first collaboration under the research Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations, highlights several critical factors that create undue stress among construction workers. It identifies potential mitigation approaches to reducing stressors, as suggested by workers participating in the study.
Site Safe Chief Executive, Brett Murray, says that as well as serving as a confirmatory piece, the paper gives insight into the thought patterns and voices of frontline workers who are often unheard in an industry fraught with danger and unsafe practices. "We operate in a high-risk industry and trying to bring about a culture of change within health and safety isn’t going to happen overnight. By talking directly to workers who face these dangers every day, we can better understand what needs to be done to create safer construction sites. We want to get people home safe to their whanau every day, both physically and mentally and we will look at all avenues to work towards this."
