Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
“We are our own worst enemy”: a qualitative exploration of work-related stress in the construction industry

Dublin Core

Title

Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
“We are our own worst enemy”: a qualitative exploration of work-related stress in the construction industry

Subject

Stress, construction industry

Description

Introduction: Around 400,000 working days per year are lost in the construction industry due to stress, depression or anxiety, but a large proportion of the industry – those primarily not based “on site” – are not included in these statistics. We explored how stress was experienced and managed by construction professionals and its perceived impact on health.
Materials and Methods: We interviewed 32 construction professionals in a British construction company, with varying levels of seniority and years in the industry.
Results: Stress was viewed an inevitable and increasing part of the
construction industry. Participants talked about a culture of stress and overwork but often felt unable to challenge. Senior management acknowledged stress was a problem. Company-wide initiatives had been implemented to address stress levels but were criticised for ignoring underlying issues. Informal means of managing stress were identified, such as careful consideration of team dynamics which allowed employees to form close bonds and using ‘banter and comradery to relieve stress. However, the persistence of a macho male image meant some participants were reluctant to talk about their feelings at work. Participants described coping strategies (exercise), but these were hard to prioritise in challenging times.
Conclusions: Industry pressures and competitive practices undermine efforts to improve staff wellbeing. Action must be taken at senior levels to address this conflict, while building on existing informal mechanisms of support and stress relief.

Creator

Paige Hulls, Frank de Vocht, Richard Martin, Rebecca Langford

Publisher

Elsevier Korea LLC

Date

January 2022

Contributor

Sri Wahyuni

Format

PDF

Language

English

Type

Text

Coverage

Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022

Files

Tags

,Repository, Repository Horizon University Indonesia, Repository Universitas Horizon Indonesia, Horizon.ac.id, Horizon University Indonesia, Universitas Horizon Indonesia, HorizonU, Repo Horizon , ,Repository, Repository Horizon University Indonesia, Repository Universitas Horizon Indonesia, Horizon.ac.id, Horizon University Indonesia, Universitas Horizon Indonesia, HorizonU, Repo Horizon ,

Citation

Paige Hulls, Frank de Vocht, Richard Martin, Rebecca Langford, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
“We are our own worst enemy”: a qualitative exploration of work-related stress in the construction industry,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 3, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2345.