The Prince of Wales discusses suicide prevention in construction industry

Prince William visited a construction site in West London to discuss the prevalence of suicide in the construction industry, and highlight the crucial need to focus on prevention, rather than crisis management, when it comes to mental health support.

The Prince’s visit comes in the week of World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September).Workers in construction are at some of the highest risk of suicide in the country, with rates in the industry over three times higher than the national average. In 2021, 507 construction workers died by suicide which equates to an average of two workers taking their own life every working day.

During his visit, His Royal Highness spoke with construction workers from across the industry who talked about their experiences and some of the challenges they and their colleagues have faced.

The Prince also heard from leading mental health charity Mates in Mind about the work that they are carrying out to empower employers and key stakeholders across the construction industry, including contractors, supply chains and policy makers, to bring the proactive change that is needed to improve mental wellbeing and the factors that contribute towards this in the sector.

Mates in Mind have worked closely with hundreds of companies over the past few years to take this holistic approach around improving mental health to recognise the pressures faced by construction workers and explore how the industry can adapt from within to address these issues head on. These supporters include Mace, who are building the project that His Royal Highness visited.