Emotive suicide prevention video released to help construction workers; the sector suffers two suicides every working day
Hemel Hempstead, 8 September 2021 - Almost 500 construction workers take their own lives every year in the UK and Ireland. An wordless, emotive video has been released as a free resource to highlight the issue and provide guidance for anybody affected, ahead of Friday 10 September which is World Suicide Prevention Day.
Film-makers AKT Productions worked with Ambanja Films to create the hard-hitting film which depicts a man ‘on the edge’ and thinking of taking his life. Major contractors BAM provided a construction site in Whitechapel, London as the location, and the project is supported by the Lighthouse Club charity, which is the only charity to provide emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families.
The result is an emotionally arresting and touching short film called ‘On the Edge’, that aims to enable and encourage those affected to find a way to talk about what they are feeling. ‘On the edge’ is free for anyone and everyone to use across the industries, and wider.
Research has established that almost half of UK tradespeople experience mental health problems due to work. Stress, anxiety and depression accounts for a fifth of all work-related illness.
BAM’s Ewen Hunter approached AKT and said: ‘It was just a 'good timing' moment because AKT had the skillset, ideas and same desire to raise this powerful but sensitive subject, so we were more than happy to help them develop the script and provide the film location. Although the film and subject are sensitive and distressing, our industry has one of the highest death rates so to be able to be involved in creating this film matters a great deal to many people. Thousands of people in our workforce alone will be viewing it and I know it will prompt some very valuable conversations. It may even save lives.’
The video can be played here:
