Greg Savage, JMJ Managing Consultant, and Rebecca Severson, Corporate Director of Safety at Gilbane Building Company, talk about the evolution of Construction Safety Week. They discuss the importance of this year’s theme, ‘holistic safety’, and explain why placing physical and mental health at the forefront is critical to keeping construction workers safe.

While the physical challenges of construction work are evident, the mental stresses associated with the industry are less obvious. Over the last year, as COVID-19 restrictions have forced people across the globe to learn to cope with isolation and emotional fatigue, the stigma surrounding mental health has gradually begun to lift. Leading the way, construction organizations representing the Incident and Injury-Free™ (IIF™) CEO forum like Gilbane have moved beyond traditional safety and embedded psychological wellbeing, alongside physical wellbeing, into their practices.

In her discussion with Greg, Rebecca shares how a holistic approach to safety has given Gilbane’s people the courage to talk about psychological wellbeing even more, and how she believes Construction Safety Week will be a catalyst to open up this very important conversation.