APRIL 2019 | 9
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
WORKPLACE WELLBEING:
MENTAL HEALTH AND SKIN CARE
‘It was so severe that I couldn’t grip.
Not being able to make a cup of
tea. Not being able to use a knife
and fork properly. All these things
affect the mental state of someone.’
65-year-old trades-
man Geoff is speaking
about his experience of
occupational skin disorders
(OSDs). Perhaps not widely
discussed or debated is the
effect of physical health on
mental health – and mental
health itself, although
higher on the agenda these
days, is not discussed
enough in the trades indus-
try according to some.
The mental health
conversation has become
more prominent and com-
monplace in recent years,
with increased focus and
attention given to this area
of health. Google search
trends for ‘mental health’
were at an all-time high
in October last year, and
people are becoming more
outspoken. But in the
workplace, is this being
taken seriously enough?
For tradespeople, a good
work-life balance can be
difficult to maintain. Es-
pecially for self-employed
workers, long working
hours, physically demand-
ing work and stress can all
be factors when it comes
to poor mental health. The
Office of National Statistics
reported shocking statistics
last year; the risk of suicide
amongst those in building
trades is 1.6 times higher
than the UK average. In ad-
dition to this, the number
of suicides in the trades
industry makes up around
38% of the recorded in-
work suicides.
Many may argue that
more could be done when it
comes to workplace mental
health in the trades. For
employers and management
staff, the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) advise that
they speak out at an early
stage, use routine manage-
ment tools to identify prob-
lems and adopt a sensitive
and supportive approach .
But for individuals, some-
times even the simplest of
changes can have a huge
impact.
Geoff illustrated one
of these simple changes,
speaking about his OSD.
These type of skin disor-
ders are probably familiar
to many in the trades, but
they can often be dismissed
and thus go unreported.
Cracked, itchy, blistered or
sore skin are just some of
the symptoms of these skin
disorders, and they are a
serious health issue – not
something to grin and bear.
Work in damp, cold condi-
tions, facing the elements
for outdoor workers and
contact with contaminants
and irritants are all contrib-
uting factors.
Geoff went on to say, ‘it
affects you mentally. It’s
very demoralising’, illustrat-
ing how these physical dis-
orders can directly impact
mental wellbeing.
Lee, a 27-year-old labour-
er also said: ‘The tighter
you grip, that tends to be
when the most pain comes.
I wouldn’t want my children
to have the same type of
hands as my father’s got.
If you haven’t looked after
your hands, you just dread
the day’.
i. Office of National Statistics | ii. http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/mental-health-line-managers.htm
Michael, a 54-year-old
tradesman also said: ‘If
your hands are really sore,
it does affect you at home.
You try to hold your hands
in a different way, where
you’re not going to feel any
pain. You have to be very
careful – you can’t give a
baby a dummy, for exam-
ple.’
At first, skin care may
seem like a somewhat
trivial issue when it comes
to mental health. But small
changes can significantly
affect both physical and
mental health and wellbe-
ing in the long-term. Jason,
a 41-year-old labourer said:
‘There’s a lot more that
could be done. There’s not
a lot of information out
there.’
Prevention is always bet-
ter than the cure, and poor
skin care habits early in
your working life can spell
disaster later down the line.
As Lee said, ‘it’s not until
later in life, that you find
out that these things can
actually be pretty detrimen-
tal’ – it’s important that skin
care is treated as a priority,
especially for those who
work with their hands.
Skin should be treated at
three stages throughout a
shift, with the appropriate
products. Protection cream
should be applied before
work, creating a protective
layer and making the hands
easier to clean. After each
contact with a contaminant,
hands should be cleaned
with an appropriate
strength hand cleaner – too
strong, and it could exacer-
bate existing skin condi-
tions. Finally, a restoring
moisturising cream should
be applied after work.
[email protected]