As part of its messaging around Mental Health Month, the Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation is calling for the road transport, warehousing and logistics industries to make mental health as everyday as safety.
Having launched in August, the Foundation has since been engaging the sector on bringing attention to the importance of improving mental health and physical wellbeing outcomes across industry.
“Mental Health Month focusses awareness on mental health and wellbeing and that’s exactly what our Foundation is all about,” said Chair of the Foundation Paul Graham.
“We tend to forget the important role that transport and logistics play in our communities. Our industry is an essential service and we need to support those people who are out there doing essential jobs that keep our society ticking,” he said.
“Any action that our industry can take to support the mental health and wellbeing of our drivers and warehouse workers will make a massive difference to our industry and to people’s lives.”
The Foundation places a significant emphasis on the importance of starting this conversation and hopes to see the sector come as far as it has with safety in every day procedures.
Over the coming year Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds plans to develop a national framework for best practice mental health to be adopted by industry.
A chief consideration is to build on project partnering nationally by creating and delivering key industry support resources including education and training.
The Foundation will participate in research pilot programs and continue to create awareness for building mental health resilience.
“We encourage all businesses, both large and small, to use Mental Health Month to start a conversation with their employees on the importance of good mental health,” said Graham.
“It’s also an opportunity to support the Foundation in any way possible so we can start to address the significant wellbeing challenges that we face across our industry.”