Ford has partnered with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity for a new suicide prevention campaign.

The ‘higher-viz’ vests will identify designated on-site support councillors at construction sites across the country

As many as two construction workers are lost to suicide every day, according to the Office for National Statistics, and the new ‘Make it Visible’ campaign seeks to combat this, using higher-viz safety vests to grab attention and identify designated on-site support councillors at construction sites across the country.

The initiative also provides onsite posters matching the vest’s colours and directing workers to a safe place to talk offsite.

By helping to make the support more visible, more workers will be able to seek assistance from available resources.

Mandy Dean, director, commercial vehicles, Ford of Britain and Ireland, said: “This campaign is hugely important to Ford and highlights the importance of mental wellbeing alongside physical wellbeing on the construction site. As the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle brand, it is likely the majority of construction workers are also Ford customers and operators, so we feel we have a duty to support them, through this partnership with the Lighthouse Club, raising awareness and getting support to those in need of it.”

Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, said: “These highly distinguishable vans, will be visiting sites across the country to deliver visible support to the boots on the ground workforce. The vehicles are manned by the Lighthouse Club’s on-site team who are all Mental Health First Aiders with relatable experiences in the construction industry. I am convinced that this initiative will have a positive impact on workforce wellbeing and ultimately save lives.”

The new initiative follows on from Ford’s ‘Elephant in the Transit’ launch from 2018, building awareness of male suicide and promoting the front seats of a vehicle as a safe space to talk.

The campaign kicks off at this year’s CV Show in Birmingham, supported by a fully liveried Transit Custom in matching high-visibility tones and attended by workers from Balfour Beatty, a key supporter of the initiative, who were involved in piloting the scheme on one of their sites in London.

Heather Bryant, health, safety, environment and sustainability director at Balfour Beatty, said: “For too long, the construction and infrastructure industry has treated mental health as the poor cousin of physical health. We must change this incredibly outdated perception – and at Balfour Beatty, we are continuing to lead the charge.

“The ‘Make it Visible’ campaign helps to build on the work we have done with the charity Mates in Mind, by specifically helping us to reach those, including our valued supply chain partners, who may not be aware of the resources available to them whilst also providing a dedicated, safe space to talk.”