In 2017, I made my maiden speech in Parliament, I talked about how we all bring our personal experience to Westminster. For me, that was the death of my husband by suicide and I pledged to make suicide prevention a key part of my work – a pledge that continues and is expressed through all my work in Parliament and beyond.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. Office of National Statistics, figures show that it was the leading cause of death for both males and females aged 20 to 34 years in the UK. Devastatingly, the figures also show that suicide was responsible for 27% of male deaths in this age range.
From my days as a volunteer in the Samaritans to the last few years of chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on suicide and self-harm prevention, the goal has always been to do more. One place that has been often overlooked is the workplace.
There are great charities such as Mates in Mind, who work to help workers in the construction sector, one of our high-risk sectors and organisations like Yellow Wellies, in the agricultural sector, to support and promote the value of mental health support.
Yet when I meet businesses there is a wish to do more, but many companies have found it difficult to know what to do in practical terms, with little guidance on best practice. This is why the move from BSI to create a standard was so significant and I was really glad to be able to work with BSI on it.
BSI, which turns 125 this month, has a well-established reputation as the UK’s national standards body, developing technical and safety standards, product certification, and management systems. Their reputation in helping businesses improve production and limit risks, all while creating safety in the workplace is well-renowned and respected across the world.
Thanks to their work, the publication of BS 30480 – the world’s first standard on suicide and the workplace represents a significant milestone in supporting mental health and well-being and supporting staff affected by suicide in the workplace across the UK and beyond.
BSI brought together many leading individuals and organisations to develop it, ensuring that it was all encompassing and covered the wide range of support that can be offered in a workplace.
The standard itself calls for assigning a named senior leader to take responsibility for the organisation’s suicide prevention strategy and providing targeted training, so line managers are confident in spotting warning signs. Additionally, the standard encourages businesses to collaborate with workers to help design “Individual Safety Plans” that outline coping strategies and emergency contacts at times when they need help or support.
Working with BSI on BS 30480 has been a real positive experience. It represents the outcome of a huge amount of work involving employers, Mental health and suicide prevention organisations, trade unions and BSI staff.
Already more than 11,500 downloads have been made across the world from a range of small, medium and large companies, each expressing their desire to do more for their colleagues. The standard is free to download from the BSI website and the flexibility allows businesses to choose what they want the best support for them and the needs of their employees.
No business is obliged to do everything in the standard but having formal guidance, built by businesses and suicide prevention charities and organisations can give confidence that this is a standard which seeks to tackle issues of mental health within the work place.
After all, Suicide has a profound impact on every workplace it touches, whether through the loss of a colleague, supporting someone in crisis, or managing the complex emotional and operational aftermath. By addressing the mental health support needs of employees, businesses can be safer, more supportive and more productive.
The strategy has already started to make a difference, but now we need to ensure that every employer, across every constituency is aware of BS 30480 and is encouraged to sign up to it. I ask each of you reading this article, to get in touch with employers in your area and continue this vital work towards reducing suicides by supporting employees at work.
**If you have been impacted by this story, or know someone who needs help and support, then please don’t delay, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org, or the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus.org**
