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Working to prevent suicide in the Australian construction industry

SUMMER 13

MATES in Construction On-SiteConSTRuCTion induSTRyinAuguRAl MEnTAl hEAlTh ConFEREnCE

Principal Sponsor:

MATESPRogRAMA ‘no bRAinER’ for deadshort electrical

SAvE ThE dATE

When: 20 Feb 2014

Where: Novotel Brisbane, 200 Creek Street, Brisbane

Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm

5.30pm to 7.30pm networking cocktail party

To REgiSTER youR inTEREST And FoR MoRE inFoRMATion, viSiT matesinconstruction.org.au

After losing an employee to suicide in 2011, Petrina Byrnes of Deadshort Electrical said it was a ‘no brainer’ to get involved with MATES when the suicide prevention program started running in South Australia.

“It was obvious for us to get involved and all our staff think it’s fantastic,” Petrina said.

“The whole company is behind this and we all talk more openly now about issues at our weekly toolbox meetings,” she said.

The MATES program was a real eye opener for Petrina during her Connector training, particularly to see how many colleagues in the industry die by suicide compared with motor accidents.

“A second big eye opener for me was that it really taught me about looking after apprentices – you can’t be indirect about it, you have to be direct and ask the question about suicide openly,” she said.

Three staff at Deadshort Electrical are ASIST Workers. There are also 13 Connectors in place and GAT’s run regularly, making the company of about 40 staff fully MATES accredited.

The MATES program has also helped Deadshort staff outside of work, with one Connector saying it made him stop and think about how he talks and listens to his teenage girls, and an ASSIST Worker used his knowledge to help a friend.

“Deadshort see this as an occupational health and safety matter and have an ongoing commitment to staff to run the MATES program,” Petrina said.

“It’s [the MATES program] in everyone’s individual training plans and all new staff inductions must go through GAT,” she said.

Deadshort Electrical is a service and construction company based in Adelaide with more than 22 years’ experience. Thank you Petrina, Peter and all the team for the wonderful support you have shown the program and each other!

connectoR WoRkSHop At deAdSHoRt eLectRicAL

Theme: Is suicide a workplace health and safety issue?

Keynote speaker: Dr Sally Spencer-Thomas (USA)

MATES in Construction officially became a national organisation with the formation of MATES in Construction Australia Ltd on 18 Oct 2013.

Despite the opening of this new organisation, MATES operate in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland and will continue to be state-run and controlled in each state.

“This way we can react to unique needs in each state, while at the same time harnessing the benefits of acting collectively nationally,” Jorgen

Gullestrup Honorary Acting CEO of MATES Australia said.

“The move means MATES can now speak with one voice on a national level, while responding appropriately to local issues in each state,” he said.

beneFitSA national MATES organisation ensures that the program is run consistently, yet flexibly, across the country. It also allows MATES to speak to stakeholders and Government as one national organisation where appropriate.

A national platform also provides us with a way to support other industries who may be interested in running the program,” Jorgen said.

“We’ve already had interest from trucking, stevedoring, mining and others,” he said.

There are 31 MATES staff working across Australia with 42,339 workers now GAT trained, 3,333 Connectors, 477 ASSIST workers and 115 MATES Accredited sites across the country.

Did your loved one die as a result of a sudden work-related injury? If so, we would like to learn about how you and your family were affected by the death and the challenges you faced afterwards.

Thousands of family members become survivors of a sudden work-related death each year but little is known of how the death and the responses of government and other organisations

affect them. You can make a real difference to this situation.

We would like to invite you to participate in this world-first Australian Research Council funded study that will pinpoint ways to improve support for partners and families following work-related tragedies. Results will be used to improve and better manage the consequences of work-related deaths for families.

Below is a simple reminder of how to identify those who are doing it tough and may need help:

What you know: Often it’s about loss. Has a mate been having a difficult life event? Examples: relationship breakdown, money troubles, death of a loved one or a mate, loss of licence etc.

What you notice: Look for changes. Have you noticed a change in their behaviour, moods and/or appearance?

What you feel: Listen to your gut feeling. Are you concerned there is more going on, that something is not feeling right?

What next? Get alongside the person and ask if they are okay.

hAvE youR voiCE hEARd by ThE univERSiTy oF SydnEyTO pARTiCipATE in ThiS STudy GO TO:www.surveymonkey.com/s/workplacedeathstudy

For more information:W www.sydney.edu.au/health-sciences/

research/workplace-death

E lynda.matthews@sydney.edu.au

T 0415 898 398

www.facebook.com/Workplace Death Study

SuppoRtIf you need guidance, want to de-brief after an incident or simply need new stickers or other MATES materials, please call us on our helpline 1300 642 111 (24 hours, 7 days) and one of the Field Staff team will get back to you promptly.

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MATES goES nATionAl!

HoW to identiFy WoRkeRS doinG it touGH connectorassist

CoMMuniTy AChiEvEMEnT AWARdS Win!

We thank the Master Builders Association South Australia for supporting us by enclosing our On-Site newsletters in their mail out to 2,500 members each month.

We are also grateful to Tom Noble, Apprenticeship Engagement Officer at Master Builders Association of SA Inc. who will arrange for an electronic version of the newsletter to be made available on the Master Builders SA website each quarter.

MATES SA has been awarded the Prime Super Community Group of the Year Award at the 2013 South Australian Community Achievement Awards in November.

The award process involved a submission covering MATES in Construction SA’s Aims and Objectives, the MATES mission and values, and it addressed how the program contributes to the construction community and to the wider community. The process was complex and involved outlining MATES SA’s sources of funding and the achievements, awards and accolades the MATES program have received to date.

oveRcoMinG bARRieRSOne highlight worth sharing from the award process was addressing a section on ‘barriers and how they have been overcome.’ An excerpt is outlined below:

Since MATES in Construction SA launched the program in April 2013, we have had mixed responses. Some construction sites have embraced the program and have been more than willing to free workers to attend, but not all sites are that willing to do so.

If a site is not willing to complete the full MATES in Construction program, this does not stop any worker accessing our services such as the 24/7 hotline number, referral via union or site safety officials or a follow up after participating in General Awareness Training.

Want to know more about running the MATES program on your site or workplace in South Australia? Contact the office in Adelaide on 08 8373 0122 or to find out more, visit our website www.matesinconstruction.org.au

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SA Wins Award for MATES

ThAnk you MASTER buildERS SA

Raising awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community is not just a Mental Health Week initiative, but what we encourage within the construction industry every day. Keep looking after your mates and seeking help if you need it.

Remember our 1300 642 111 (24/7) helpline is available to access counselling and for any critical emergency if you or a mate are doing it tough.

pRincipAL SponSoR:

CFMEU SA and MATES SA nominated the MATES program for an award at the Australian Men’s Health Forum. Thank you Esther Vanarend, Healthy Men’s Worker (CFMEU). It was a nice surprise for SA CEO Michelle Brown and team to have won the Inaugural Award for Significant Contribution to Men’s Mental Health, Social & Emotional Wellbeing by an Organisation at a function at the Brisbane Convention centre on the 24 Oct. It was great to be recognised by our peers including the Award sponsor Beyond Blue.

REMEMbER To look AFTER youR MATES And youRSElF

MicHeLLe bRoWn, MAteS SA ceo WitH AWARd FoR inAuGuRAL AWARd FoR SiGniFicAnt contRibution to Men’S MentAL HeALtH, SociAL & eMotionAL WeLLbeinG by An oRGAniSAtion

pictuRed L to R: eRneSt WonG (MeMbeR oF LeGiSLAtive counciL), peteR MccLeLLAnd (ceo MAteS nSW), bRiAn pARkeR (cFMeu), yu Lei zHou

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$50,000 raised for MATES NSW by Chinese community! A fundraising dinner was held earlier this year with about $50,000 raised at Chilli Garden Chinese Restaurant Hurstville.

MATES NSW realised that it was not connecting very well with the large Chinese workforce in Sydney’s construction industry.

To overcome this problem, leaders of Sydney’s Chinese community were approached and these leaders immediately recognised the value of the MATES program.

The proceeds from the fundraising dinner will allow MATES NSW to communicate better with the construction industry’s Mandarin speaking workforce. This will include the production of suicide prevention brochures written in Mandarin and a General Awareness Training DVD, also produced in Mandarin.

cHAtSWoodA second group of 13 Connectors from Mirvac have been trained at the Mirvac ERA Chatswood residential project in NSW (Pictured).

At its peak, this site has about 300 workers in place. Due to the fluctuating nature of workers on this project, MATES NSW have run eight General Awareness Training sessions (GAT’s) and there is an ASSIST Worker (suicide first aid) in place in addition to the Connectors.

This sold out apartment project incorporates state of the art sustainability concepts, including a large underground water tank and energy efficient appliances throughout, and a broad range of modern fittings, security and communications features.

HARoLd pARkThe first Mirvac Connector training was held at the Harold Park project with seven Connectors trained at that site and one ASIST Worker in place.

Mirvac’s Harold Park workforce in Glebe is growing rapidly and further Connector training has been scheduled to follow ongoing General Awareness Training (GAT) at this site. This project will provide a range of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments 2.5km from the city and includes terrace homes framed by a striking internal courtyard.

One hundred and eleven workers participated in the first General Awareness Training (GAT) session at the Buildcorp Sydney Adventist Hospital site at Wahroonga in September.

At the end of the training twenty workers also volunteered to do Connector Training and five sought help from MATES in Construction for various issues they had.

Senior Project Manager Steve Taunton said the feedback from the workers after the training was very positive and he wants the MATES Program to be an ongoing feature on this Project.

Steve also said ‘good mental health is vital for workers, their families and for the project.’

MiRvAC PuTS MoRE WoRkERS ThRough ConnECToR TRAining

MiRvAc cHAtSWood Site

inTERESTEd in ThE MATES PRogRAM in nSW?If you are interested in running the free MATES in Construction suicide prevention program on your site, please contact MATES NSW on 02 9566 4200 or to find out more, visit our website matesinconstruction.org.au

“THANK YOU TO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN NSW FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT FUNDRAISING EFFORT TOWARD SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE NSW CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY!”

buildCoRP AgREE: good Mental health is vital for Workers

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pRincipAL SponSoR:

As some readers may already be aware, Laing O’Rourke has named MATES in Construction as its “Charity of the Year” for 2013, providing generous support to MATES at a national level.

State branches have also become involved in raising funds at a state level and as part of this, Laing O’Rourke WA arranged a quiz night in September as its major fundraising activity.

The MATES WA staff were generously invited along to share in the fun and fundraising. The advice Laing O’Rourke gave the MATES team was simple:

“Bring a mountain of gold coins and have fun!”

Armed with a mountain of gold coins, off we went. The evening started with a hot buffet and drinks were available for a gold coin donation. It was the makings of a great night!

After a perfectly-timed break for some more of the reasonably priced drinks, the fun-packed trivia quiz started in earnest. With the quiz over (MATES team came 2nd.), everyone enjoyed a couple of party games. By this time the mountain of gold coins the MATES team started with was dwindling fast, but never has it been given more willingly and enjoyably.

MATES WA and all the MATES team nationally say a huGE ThAnK yOu, and a very well done to Laing O’Rourke WA for this significant fundraising effort. Funds like these go to the frontline in WA allowing us to roll out the suicide prevention program further and save lives.

ThE MATES WA PRogRAM in ACTion: helping someone through thoughts of suicideAt a recent site visit to check on how the MATES WA program was going, we asked Bill Roche if he had had the chance to put his training into practice.

Bill was ASIST trained earlier this year and said he had helped three workers, one of whom was planning to take his own life. He responded after receiving a call from a workmate who was concerned about the man on site.

“I called him straight away and arranged a meeting at his house,” he said.

“He told me he was struggling with the fact that his wife had left him two days earlier and he was drinking heavily.”

Bill asked directly if he was having thoughts of suicide, and he said ‘yes.’

“I asked him how he was planning to end his life and he showed me what his plan was,” Bill said.

Bill then arranged for him to get counselling through their EAP (Employers Assistance Program) for further help and rang him each day for a while to check he was okay and getting back on track.

“Last time I spoke with him, his life seemed to be much more back on track and his wife had come back!” Bill said.

Bill’s story is a great example of how anyone, with a small amount of training, can be a mate and save a life.

Great job Bill!

Bill is a Systems Manager (OHS&E & QA) for Northerly Group and has been working in construction for 12 years. He completed all three levels of the MATES program in February this year.

goT A FundRAiSing idEA FoR MATES in ConSTRuCTion in WESTERn AuSTRAliA? Contact us on 08 9463 6664.

$10,000+ RAiSEd at laing o’Rourke WA Quiz night “laingtastic!”

nEEd hElP noW?If you or your mate are doing it tough or having thoughts of suicide in WA, QLD, NSW or SA, call our helpline on 1300 642 111 (24/7). Tell the operator it’s critical.

You can also call the Suicide Callback Service from anywhere in Australia on 1300 659 467 (24/7) or Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24/7).

noT SuRE WhAT To do? If a person’s life is in danger, call 000 for an Ambulance.

biLL RocHe And SHAnnon bARneS, MAteS FieLd oFFiceR

Donald Dodd, Projects Manager at Polyseal in Yatala, has a case of ‘information overload’ having done the whole MATES program in the one week!

“What made me want to get in and get it all done was a situation at work with an employee talking about suicide awhile back,” he said.

“I hadn’t heard about MATES then and didn’t know what to do, but got some help through the CFMEU and just did my best with him.”

Donald is going to work toward making Polyseal in Yatala a MATES Accredited workplace, and has a goal of getting the program fully in place at Polyseal in NSW then Victoria and WA as well.

“I am qualified in occupational health and safety and I think we need to have a proper approach to this as a national organisation,” Donald said.

“Having this [MATES program] available with Connectors at work to talk to, and a support mechanism with MATES, is really invaluable in the industry.”

The MATES program and ASIST in particular hasn’t just helped Donald at work, he also said using the listening aspects of the training in personal relationships has been ‘magnificent.’

“I’ve had mates that have talked about suicide and never knew how to handle it, so it’s really good to learn now to listen more instead of just trying to fix things.”

FeedbAck FRoM dodd duRinG ASiSt couRSe “Trainers John and Jorgen [MATES] are awesome. Their confidence with the course and sharing life skills during it has been amazing. Just knowing people like John and Jorgen are around to help get a leg up and confidence with suicide prevention is really great.”

From the Alfoil activity to the insightful and humorous presentation by Allan Pease, it seemed that a fun time was had by all who attended our 4th Annual Charity Lunch this year.

The marquee was packed to capacity with a boisterous atmosphere in the room when the Alfoil tallest construction

activity got underway. The room was filled with laughter and strange objects of varying sizes, shapes and wobbles!

The money raised goes directly to the frontline of our work which is helping construction workers who are doing it tough. It helps us to produce the training booklets, pens, hard hat

stickers and other resources required to roll out the programs to over 42,000 workers and growing.

Working together as an industry we can make a significant difference to the health and wellbeing of Queensland construction workers.

MAteS pRoGRAM SMASHeR, donALd dodd

Thank you Construction industry Qld, more than $98,000 raised for suicide prevention in Qld!

A big thank you to our Event Sponsor, Construction Skills Queensland, and to all sponsors and supporters of this event.

gAT, Connector and ASiST trained in one week!

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pRincipAL SponSoR:

SuppoRted by:

ASSiST WoRkER RESEARCh PRoJECT undERWAy

With the funding support of The Queensland Community Foundation, research has been done this year on the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) MATES in Construction run.

Awareness Australia collected the initial data earlier this year and researcher Dr Cate Banks is now completing follow up analysis of ASIST Workers.

Dr Banks spoke to 69 people from various backgrounds in the construction industry. This was a good response rate given the big movement of people within the industry, which makes it hard for MATES to have up to date contacts. Only two people declined to be interviewed. The research looked at four main areas:

1. Information about the training received

2. Application of the training to the individual work scenario

3. ASIST model, including the use of the model, support from the organisation and personal use

4. Continued involvement in MATES programs.

Many of the participants have used the ASIST model and there is a direct link between ASIST workers and:

•feeling comfortable using the model

•building relationships with Connectors within an organisation

•individual organisation’s commitment to the MATES program.

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poSitive FeedbAckThe research also captured overwhelmingly positive experiences and the impact of the MATES program on people who attended. Below are some comments from survey participants about how it helped them do their job:

“The confidence in dealing with people whom are having suicidal thoughts.”

“To have an open mind and realising that people have feelings about different things.”

“Communication – how to recognise danger signals and act upon them.”

DR BANKS SAID THE RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THE MORE INVOlVEMENT WITH MATES AN ORGANISATION HAS, THE MORE lIKElY THE PEOPlE WHO ARE TRAINED WITH THESE SKIllS CAN CONFIDENTlY SUPPORT THEIR MATES

A full report will be available on the MATES website in 2014. For more information on the Queensland Community Foundation, visit its website at qcf.org.au

ReddiFund was instrumental in funding and establishing the MATES in Construction suicide prevention program in WA in 2011 with the opening of MATES in Construction WA Limited.

ReddiFund remains MATES WA’s principal financial sponsor and the Board of ReddiFund is continuing to seek ways to contribute back to the industry.

Supporting a program that assists in improving the lives, mental health and wellbeing of workers and their families in the industry, was an obvious choice for ReddiFund.

Historically ReddiFund have provided funding for services from Converge International

to provide counselling services for building and constructions workers with various life problems.

The service was not restricted to financial, drug and alcohol abuse and relationship matters, and was there to assist when a critical incident like accident, injury or other trauma occurred.

With the introduction of MATES in Construction in Queensland, ReddiFund saw this as a positive step in the attempt to reduce the rate of suicide among construction workers and chose to introduce the program into WA.

Murray Rzepecki, ReddiFund’s CEO and the ReddiFund

Board believe that the program MATES in Construction WA offers to construction workers is one of the best initiatives and investments it has in the industry.

After all, what could be better than giving construction workers the tools they need to identify when one of their mates is struggling and what to do to potentially save a life?

About ReddiFund ReddiFund is a WA based redundancy fund servicing the commercial construction sector of the industry. Established in 1989, and formerly known as the WA Construction Industry Redundancy Fund (WACIRF),

it has recently re-branded to celebrate 25 years of operation.

The fund collects redundancy contributions within the commercial construction industry via employer contributions on behalf of employees. These funds are invested and any surplus remaining are used for the benefit of the industry, after administration fees are paid. For more information about ReddiFund visit its website reddifund.com.au

ReddiFund are proud to support MATES in Construction in WA

MuRRAy Rzepecki, ReddiFund ceo

WA

t 08 9463 6664

Street address 106 caledonian Avenue Maylands WA 6051

NSW

t 02 9566 4200 F 02 9660 5583

Street address Lvl 1 52 parramatta Road Forest Lodge nSW 2037

SA

t 08 8373 0122 F 08 8373 1929

Street address 58A Greenhill Rd Wayville SA 5034

NAtioNAl

t 07 3833 1140 F 07 3832 8269

Postal Address po box 1001 Spring Hill QLd 4004

QlD

t 07 3833 1140 F 07 3832 8269

Street address Lvl 1 35 Astor terrace Spring Hill QLd 4004

editoR: JuliE CoulThARd coMMunicAtionS oFFiceR jcouLtHARd@MAteSinconStRuction.oRG.Au

matesinconstruction.org.au

Emergency Contact information

Join ThE induSTRy PARTnERS PRogRAMThe MATES in Construction Industry Partner Program provides opportunities for organisations to demonstrate support of MATES through financial contributions.

For more information, please contact Ian Godbold, Marketing Manager on igodbold@matesinconstruction.org.au or 0407 843 912.

If you need help now, call our 24/7 help line 1300 MIC 111 (1300 642 111) Or call 000 to be connected to emergency services.

For Lifeline phone support please call: 13 11 14

MATES in Construction gratefully acknowledges the funding provided by the Federal Government.8

Laing O’Rourke sponsors the cost of the printing and distribution of this newsletter “ON-SITE”, which is delivered to construction sites in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.

We acknowledge and thank Laing O’Rourke for their support.