This autumn, that commitment takes a powerful new step forward with the launch of BS 30480, the UK’s first British Standard dedicated to suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and postvention in the workplace.
Published to support World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, the framework offers organisations – like those across the fuel distribution sector – a practical and compassionate guide to addressing one of the most challenging issues we face, providing the tools to extend that culture of care beyond physical risks.
These are difficult topics to read about, and even harder topics to talk about. Anyone who has experienced depression will know that it’s not just everyday sadness (which is a natural and healthy response to bereavement, loss and rejection, and usually dissipates over time with good self-care).
Depression is an enduring, persistent, sense of emptiness that causes us to withdraw from those we love the most. It’s hard to put the intensity of these sad feelings into words and hence depression is not often discussed in day-to-day conversation.
Another subject not often talked about is suicide – its frequency, its dangers and its impact on loved ones. One of the reasons for this is likely to be the myth that if we mention ‘suicide’ in our conversations, it might put the idea into someone’s head, hence increasing the risk of them taking their own life.
But the opposite is true – if we talk about depression and suicide, we demonstrate to our friends and family that these are not stigmatised or ‘taboo’ subjects, that we won’t judge or blame or call them ‘soft’ or ‘snowflake’ and that we are safe and informed people to talk to, about this distress.
We won’t always be able to take the distress away, or remove the suicidal thoughts, but with a little knowledge (information resources at the end of this article), we can have supportive conversations and direct our colleagues and loved ones to compassionate, friendly, helpful resources, used hundreds of times a day by people who feel sad and hopeless.
Why are depression and suicide important for us to talk about here? Sadly, the statistics speak for themselves:
By 2030 mental health problems (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally.
- 1 in 6 adults (around 17%) report experience some depressive symptoms in any given week.
- This equates to 9 million people in the UK experiencing one or more of the following: low mood, hopelessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and sleep disturbance
- 1 in 23 adults (around 4.4%) have been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder, which is a serious mental health condition.
- This equates to 2.3 million people in the UK experiencing at least 5 of the following symptoms every day for at least two weeks:
- feeling sad
- loss of interest in activities they would usually find joyful
- excessive self-blame, loss of confidence
- forgetfulness
- excessive tiredness
- changes in appetite (increase or reduced)
- insomnia
- loss of interest in sex
- moving much slower (or the opposite – feeling restless and agitated)
- recurrent thoughts of death or suicide (this can range from suicidal ideation i.e., preoccupation with thinking about death and suicide, to active planning)
- about 60% of people with depression have recurrent thoughts of suicide.
- In 2023, across England and Wales, there were 6,069 people who died by suicide, this was the highest number of people since 1999.
- Men are 3 times more likely to die by suicide than women, although women attempt suicide at higher rates than men
- Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 50
- LGBT+ communities face over twice the risk of suicide compared with their heterosexual peers, and Black LGBT+ people have 4.7 times the risk of suicide compared with their heterosexual peers.
- For every death by suicide, at least 135 people are impacted by the loss, and those people bereaved by suicide are at heightened risk of suicide themselves.
- The construction industry has the highest suicide rate across all industry sectors with construction workers nearly 4 times more likely to die by suicide than workers in low-risk industries. (Other high-risk industries include agriculture/farming, music/performing arts, healthcare professionals)
What can we do to help? – use the Standard BS 30480
Fuel oil distribution is not alone in raising the profile of mental health and recognising the pressures and risks within our industry. We are helped enormously in this task by the launch of BS 30480, the UK’s first British Standard, dedicated to suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and postvention in the workplace.
“This document is a groundbreaking framework aimed at helping organisations respond effectively and compassionately to suicide-related issues.”
The Standard is due for publication in September/October, to support World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th.
This Standard isn’t just about suicide however, it is a psychologically nutritious manual, containing systemic and compassionate guidance, evidenced based insights, case studies, toolkits and examples of best practice in supporting people who are distressed in the workplace.
As you would expect, it covers topics such as:
- Strategy, Policy Implementation and Monitoring
- Workplace Culture and Meeting Worker Needs
- Understanding Suicide and Prevention
- Support For Those Affected By Suicide
But it also provides practical examples of what to notice in the workplace and what to say if you do notice people are struggling. All of this information is incredibly helpful for everything we have described here related to depression and suicide.
In the tables (above and right) are some examples of the content in the Standard. Pease use this material sensitively and read the Standard or take part in good quality evidenced based mental Health training before you put this content into practice.
A call to the community
The fuel oil industry is built on reliability, resilience, and community. These same qualities can be harnessed to foster safer, more supportive workplaces for staff.
Reducing depression and preventing suicide is not just a health care issue – it’s a workplace safety issue. Information, practical changes and recognition of valuable resources will help the industry reduce stigma, strengthen the wellbeing of the workforce, and save lives.
Images supplied by Mandy Rutter
