Last weekend Clare Richardson CMIOSH braved her first festival! The Isle of Wight Festival, she was struck by something that went beyond the music.
Both Lewis Capaldi and Teddy Swims spoke openly about their experiences with mental health challenges. Their honesty was powerful and a reminder that mental health affects people from all walks of life, regardless of success, status or profession.

It also reinforced why the recent Joint Code of Practice on Preventing and Managing Psychosocial Risk in Construction, developed through the leadership of the Construction Leadership Council, is such an important step forward for our industry.

For too long, conversations about health and safety in construction have focused primarily on physical risks. While these remain critical, we know that psychosocial risks such as excessive workload, poor communication, lack of support, uncertainty, bullying, fatigue and long working hours can have a significant impact on both wellbeing and performance.

Creating healthier workplaces isn’t simply about responding when someone is struggling. It is about designing work, managing projects and leading teams in ways that reduce unnecessary pressures and support people to thrive.

The construction industry has made huge progress in recognising that health is every bit as important as safety. The Joint Code of Practice provides an opportunity for organisations to take a more proactive and consistent approach to managing psychosocial risks and creating environments where people feel able to speak up and seek support.

As Lewis Capaldi and Teddy Swims demonstrated this weekend, talking openly about mental health matters. The challenge for us as leaders is ensuring our workplaces are places where those conversations can happen without fear of judgement.

Because preventing harm isn’t just about protecting people from physical injury – it’s about protecting their psychological health too.