Mental Health And The Lift Industry Charter
Ascension Lift Solutions Supporting Mental Health
Did you know?
- 1 in 4 experience mental health problems every year
- 1 in 6 experience common mental health problems every week
- 1 in 5 have suicidal thoughts over the course of a lifetime
- 1 in 14 self-harm over the course of their lifetime
*Information supplied from the lend an ear movement
“Have you considered mental health being a safety implication when working on lifts”?
At Ascension Lift Solutions we believe the ‘health’ in the words Health and Safety includes a person’s mental health. Supporting mental health in an industry which is historically male dominated can be very challenging. Ascension Lift Solutions is a keen promoter and supporter of the Lift Industry Mental Health Charter who can provide mental health courses to the industry. The Lift Industry Mental Health Charter is an initiative/idea which is focused on bringing together the lift industry to support mental health within the industry. This includes all lift companies, lift consultants and lift suppliers across the lift industry and their employees. Working together to support the people within the industry with their mental health will make the industry a safer and more supportive place to work.
Is There Legal Requirements?
YES! Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees at work and to provide a safe working environment for their employees. This also includes when the employee is working from home. If an employee has a mental health condition it must be taken seriously, employers have a duty of care for the health and safety of its employees and that includes for their mental health. Employers must do all they reasonably can to support their employees’ health safety and well-being. This includes making sure working environments are safe and protecting staff from discrimination and carrying out the appropriate risk assessments.
Employers should be conducting the following risk assessments to protect employees both physically and mentally in the workplace.
- COVID- 19 risk assessments
- Stress risk assessment
- DSE risk assessments
- Well-being or mental health risk assessments (not legally required but advised)
Link: Work-related stress and how to manage it: stress risk assessment - HSE
Most mental health conditions are likely to satisfy the legal definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010, as such conditions have a substantial and long-term impact on the individuals’ day-to-day life. This means those with mental health conditions are likely to be protected from disability discrimination and be entitled to reasonable adjustments from their employer.
*Information from Thrive law
What does the HSE say?
One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point. While mental health problems are common, most are mild, tend to be short-term and are normally successfully treated, with medication, by a GP. Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. They are often a reaction to a difficult life event, such as bereavement, but can also be caused by work-related issues.
This guidance talks generally about work-related stress but where such stress is prolonged it can lead to both physical and psychological damage, including anxiety and depression.
Work can also aggravate pre-existing conditions, and problems at work can bring on symptoms or make their effects worse.
Whether work is causing the health issue or aggravating it, employers have a legal responsibility to help their employees. Work-related mental health issues must be assessed to measure the levels of risk to staff. Where a risk is identified, steps must be taken to remove it or reduce it as far as reasonably practicable.
Some employees will have a pre-existing physical or mental health condition when recruited or may develop one caused by factors that are not work-related factors.
Their employers may have further legal requirements, to make reasonable adjustments under equalities legislation. Information about employing people with a disability can be found on GOV.UK or from the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England, Scotland and Wales.
Link Work-related stress and how to manage it: stress risk assessment - HSE
What Pressures In The Lift Industry?
If you reflect on our industry there are pressures in every area which can impact a persons’ working and personal life. These impacts can increase or cause Anxiety/Depression or workplace stress. Some of the roles and tasks listed below can create these pressures for staff, such as, but not limited to:
Field Staff Pressures:
- Engineers night call
- Sleep depravation
- Service routes pressures
- Repair pressures
- Call out pressures
- Insurance items pressures,
- Problematic lifts
- Dealing with the public and clients direct.
- Signing legal documentation
- Onsite audits
- Lack of training
- Driving anxiety
- Parking pressures
- Safety considerations for the public
- Pressures at home
Office And Management Pressures
- Customer support
- Staffing issues
- Company support
- Recruitment problems
- Financial pressures
- Resolution of lift faults
- Parts location
- Communications with teams
- Motivation
- Creating new systems and solutions
- Accreditation renewals
- Safety
- Audits
- Pressures at home
Above are only some of the pressures which can create health issues such as Anxiety, Depression and workplace stress within our industry.
We have ways of supporting the lift industry! The Lift Industry Mental Health Charter - Join Now
The Lift Industry Mental Health Charter is an initiative/idea which is focused on bringing together the lift industry to support mental health within the industry. This includes all lift companies, lift consultants and lift suppliers across the lift industry and their employees. Working together to support the people within the industry with their mental health will make the industry a safer and more supportive place to work. The mission is to make this an international charter across the worldwide industry and for businesses to support.
A bold and ambitious aim to support mental health.