Men’s Health Week, taking place from 15 to 21 June, is an important opportunity to raise awareness of preventable health issues affecting men, including those linked to the workplace. 

For employers, managers and training providers, it is also a timely reminder that health and safety is not only about preventing accidents. It is also about protecting workers from long-term occupational health risks and supporting mental wellbeing. 

Many industries with higher occupational health hazards are male dominated, including construction, manufacturing, engineering, skilled trades and maintenance work. Workers in these sectors can face a combination of physical health risks, exposure to hazardous substances and work-related stress. 

Why Men’s Health Week Matters in the Workplace 

Men are often overrepresented in roles where exposure to dusts, fumes, noise, vibration, asbestos and other hazardous substances may occur. Some of these risks do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to serious illness many years later. 

That is why awareness, prevention and early action are so important. 

During Men’s Health Week, organisations can use the opportunity to talk openly about both physical health and mental health at work. 

Asbestos: A Continuing Risk for Tradespeople 

Although asbestos is now banned in the UK, it can still be present in many older buildings. Tradespeople such as builders, electricians, plumbers, joiners, maintenance workers and decorators may still disturb asbestos-containing materials during everyday work. 

Exposure to asbestos fibres can cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma, a cancer caused almost exclusively by past asbestos exposure. 

Men working in skilled trades experience higher rates of mesothelioma mortality, highlighting the continued need for practical asbestos awareness and safe working practices. 

Employers and workers should make sure they understand: 

• where asbestos may be found;  
• what work could disturb it;  
• when work must stop;  
• when specialist help is needed;  
• how to follow safe systems of work.  

The HSE provides a quick guide for tradespeople offering practical asbestos guidance. 

Engineered Stone Dust and Silicosis 

Another serious occupational health issue is exposure to respirable crystalline silica, particularly when cutting, grinding or polishing materials such as stone, concrete, brick and engineered stone. 

Silicosis is a serious and irreversible lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust. HSE has highlighted the risks associated with engineered stone dust, and almost all reported silicosis cases are male. 

Work involving engineered stone must be properly controlled. This includes using effective dust suppression, suitable extraction, respiratory protective equipment where required, and safe working methods. 

The HSE has updated guidance on controlling risks when cutting or polishing engineered stone, which employers should review and apply where relevant.

Mental Health and Work-Related Stress 

Men’s Health Week is also a chance to talk about mental health. 

Work-related stress can affect anyone, but in male-dominated industries there may still be barriers that prevent workers from speaking up or asking for support. Long hours, job pressure, financial worries, physical demands, lone working and challenging site conditions can all contribute to poor mental wellbeing. 

Employers have a legal duty to assess and manage risks from work-related stress, just as they would any other workplace hazard. 

The HSE’s Working Minds campaign provides free resources to help employers prevent work-related stress and support good mental health at work. 

Simple steps can make a real difference, such as: 

• encouraging open conversations;  
• checking in regularly with workers;  
• identifying causes of stress early;  
• making reasonable adjustments where needed;  
• training managers to recognise warning signs;  
• signposting workers to support. 

What Employers Can Do During Men’s Health Week 

Men’s Health Week is a useful prompt to review how well occupational health risks are being managed across your organisation. 

Employers can use the week to: 

• share HSE guidance with staff and contractors;  
• refresh asbestos awareness training;  
• review dust control measures;  
• check that risk assessments are up to date;  
• promote mental health and stress support;  
• encourage workers to report health concerns early;
• start conversations about long-term health risks. 

Protecting Health Is Part of Good Health and Safety 

Workplace health risks are not always visible, and the impact may not be immediate. However, conditions linked to asbestos, silica dust and work-related stress can have life-changing consequences. 

Men’s Health Week is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness, challenge stigma and encourage safer, healthier working practices across the trades and wider industry. 

By using HSE’s free guidance and resources, employers can take practical steps to protect workers’ long-term health, not just during Men’s Health Week, but all year round.

Building skills and creating opportunities through the CITB Impact Fund: Scottish Pathways to Construction North Lanarkshire Academy, in partnership with CCP.

It was great to see participants engaging in the programme, learning more about the construction industry, developing their employability skills, and exploring the opportunities available to them within the sector.

Through collaborative programmes like this, we're helping individuals gain the knowledge, confidence, and industry insight needed to take the next step towards a rewarding career in construction.

A big thank you to everyone involved in supporting the academy and helping participants progress towards their future goals.

We work closely with DYW - Fife to create opportunities for young people to learn and develop within the workplace and have created some work placement opportunities for over the summer holidays (each opportunity a week long) for those looking to move in business administration work on leaving school - we hope these taster weeks will let school pupils get a better feel for what working in a business feels like and whether it is for them.... ideal before finalising college choices or finalising a career direction.

These opportunities are being offered through the Workit platform, a system that schools use to coordinate placements with local businesses. If you or someone you know is studying Business or a related subject and are in S4-6 and this is something of interest please speak to your guidance teacher to submit an application - the opportunities are live now.

We are also happy to speak to any other local businesses keen to create similar opportunities for school pupils, if they would like to find out more about setting these up.

Please join us in welcoming Adriane as our new Office Coordinator 👋

We are delighted to have Adriane join the team taking the lead on invigilating our CITB CSCS test centre, coordinating certificates and overseeing the training delivery preparation. We know she’ll be a fantastic addition and a great support to both our clients and candidates.

A great day delivering Face Fit Training for our client GME, led by Sarah Raeburn and Derek Hood.

The session provided practical and hands-on training to ensure employees are correctly fitted and confident in using respiratory protective equipment safely and effectively.

Supporting safer workplaces through quality training is what we do best.

Both Sarah Raeburn and Sarah Huxter attended the All Energy Conference on Thursday.

It was a fantastic opportunity for them to connect with industry professionals, hear about the latest developments across the energy sector, and explore future talent and workforce opportunities within the industry.

#AllEnergy2026 hashtag#Networking hashtag#SkillsDevelopment hashtag#EnergySector hashtag#WorkforceDevelopment

It was great to attend the Meet the Buyer event for Central East Scotland at Adam Smith Theatre.

Sarah Raeburn and Derek Hood represented the business where they enjoyed speaking with a range of local businesses, Tier 1 contractors, team members from differing support services at Fife Council and Fife College. The event was hosted by the Hub East Central Scotland to support SMEs access forthcoming projects in the Fife area.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall to chat with the team.

We had a great day at our Academy Information Day in North Lanarkshire in partnership with Capital City Partnership today.

The event provided an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the pathways available within construction, hear about upcoming academy opportunities, and connect with industry support and training providers.

We’re proud to work alongside Capital City Partnership to help individuals take the next step towards sustainable careers in the construction industry.

We’re proud to share that Raeburn Training has been awarded the Gold Fair Payment Code Award.
This recognises our commitment to paying suppliers promptly. It’s a great achievement and reflects the strong teamwork and processes across the business. Supporting suppliers and maintaining positive working relationships remains incredibly important to us.
A huge thank you to our team for helping make this possible.

Happy Birthday to our Derek! 🎉

From everyone here at Raeburn Training, we hope you have a great day.