Quality Plumber Week 2019 will focus on mental health

Quality Plumber Week in October will aim to raise awareness of poor mental health and what can be done to improve and help safeguard the mental health and wellbeing of gas engineers and plumbers.

Samaritans will be supporting the APHC’s campaign, which is on 7-13 October. Paul McDonald, executive director of External Affairs at Samaritans says: “We are pleased that the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors is raising awareness of Samaritans’ service and supporting our Real People, Real Stories campaign during Quality Plumber Week.

“Plumbing and heating contractors often work on their own and don’t always have the same level of interaction that other people might have in the workplace, so it’s important to raise awareness of the support available and encourage people to seek help.”

Samaritans’ Real People, Real Stories campaign shares real stories from men who have overcome tough times to encourage men – who are more at risk of suicide – to seek help by contacting Samaritans 24/7 free on 116 123 or Samaritans.org.

During Quality Plumber Week, APHC will be using social media to raise awareness of the signs of poor mental health and to let people know where they can get advice and information.

CEO John Thompson APHC says: “The mental health of plumbing and heating contractors is an important matter as one in six UK workers struggles with mental health problems – which equates to around 350,000 construction workers. Suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 15 to 49.

“With the plumbing and heating industry having a predominantly male population, poor mental wellbeing can have a significant impact within our trade. What’s more, the plumbing and heating industry is predominately made up of sole traders for whom the challenges around mental wellbeing can be more significant as they face a wealth of pressure throughout the working day, which for many, continues into the evening as this is the only time they have to deal with the administration aspect of running a company.”

You can join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by using the hashtag #QPW19 on and you can download the QPW19 logo from www.QualityPlumberWeek.co.uk