Suicide is the leading cause of death of men under 44 and women under 34. 75% of suicides are men. Too few men feel they can talk about their problems and it requires our vigilance and intervention to stem this tide.

There is an enormous focus on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the building industry and rightly so. The industry is a dangerous place and assessing and managing risks is the key to preventing incidents that can lead to injury or death.

It is a shocking statistic that construction workers are 6 times more likely to die by suicide than as a result of an industrial accident.

Across Australian society, it is estimated that 250 people each day plan suicide and approximately 1000 think about it.

Males dominate the building industry. These blokes find it hard to communicate their inner feelings to anyone, least of all professionals who would be best placed to help them (93% of those who took their own lives did not seek professional help).

Our vigilance is required to look out for tell tale signs of those traveling the path to suicide. Moodiness, carelessness, alcohol or drug misuse, giving away possessions or putting affairs in order can be the signs that should cause your intervention. Events such as family crisis, relationship breakdown and financial stress are typical triggers.

Intervention can be as simple as asking the person “Are you OK?”. Share your observations and listen to their story. Offer assistance and get help.

The building industry is doing more in this space than ever before. Mates In Construction operates in many States and Incolink in Victoria offers Life Care for apprentices who want help, funded in part by the Federal Government.

When it gets down to it, we each must take on the responsibility of watching out for friends and work colleagues. In 2102,  1.7% of all deaths in Australia were suicide. Your intervention could save a life.

The inability to tow a building across the oceans has saved the building industry from competition for 200 years. However, technology will soon change that. Will this new paradigm create a better, more export focussed local industry, or will we increasingly import our building needs?

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a better way to build. Through a merger of technologies, clients can fly through their virtual building, examine the space being designed for them and change it to suit their needs – down to the last detail. Their contractors can build virtually first, determining the quickest way to go about it. They can then order subcomponents built elsewhere with millimetre accuracy, reducing fabrication on site saving time and mistakes. Owners of the building can better manage their asset down to the last light fitting. Maintenance is entirely programmed, warranty information, details of source of supply and expected life all known. These assets last longer because they are better managed.

BIM is not the end of the road. It is part of a technological evolution that will inevitably change the industry. Clients get buildings that cost less and last longer.

Some governments, notably the UK and Singapore are mandating its use in their own projects. They wish to capture the productivity gain and get a better bang for their buck by insisting that this technology is used for community benefit. They know they can build more or better buildings for the same money.

Not all governments see the opportunity – Australia being one of them, despite being the largest client in the land.

At present, this is an opportunity wasted, with the public footing the bill. Worse, left without coordination, more and more components of our building requirements will come from overseas, destroying Australian jobs in the process.

Governments, state and federal can usefully play a role as clients, embracing new technology and helping to lead the private sector through its purchasing dictates. We have everything to gain and the risk of losing what we have now.

Technology is not the threat. The risk is not capitalising on the opportunity. With the building boom happening in Asia, why aren’t we utilising our industry know-how and expertise by exporting high quality building subcomponents?