11 trade suicides a week: Iconic photo recreated for Mental Health Awareness
The iconic 1932 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' photograph, featuring eleven construction workers casually sitting on a steel girder far above the streets of New York, has been recreated with eleven mannequins, to raise awareness of the number of tradespeople who commit suicide each week in the UK.
The display was organised to mark Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK by IronmongeryDirect as part of its annual campaign to raise awareness of mental health amongst the UK trades.
Its 2022 report found that more than four in five (82%) UK tradespeople deal with some form of mental health problem due to work, and sadly, many take their own lives as a result.
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Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that there are 589 suicides in the industry each year, which works out at an average of 11 per week.
To visualise this tragic statistic, IronmongeryDirect positioned 11 mannequins along a platform, which was then hoisted 30 metres into the air by a crane that was donated by Bandshire Crane Hire, in a recreation of the iconic New York image.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the original skyscraper photo being taken, and the number of construction workers in the scene matches the weekly suicide figure.
As part of its campaign, the Essex-based ironmongery supplier has partnered with the mental health charity, Basildon Mind, and is donating over £3,000 to support its crucial services.
Emma Mamo, Head of Workspace Wellbeing at Mind, said: “In male-dominated industries such as construction, employees are often less willing and able to open up about their mental health and ask for support. This can be problematic because mental health problems often become worse if left untreated, and the consequences can be fatal.
“We urge employers to create cultures where employees can speak openly and honestly about their mental health.”
The original photo, thought to be taken by Charles Clyde Ebbets, struck a chord with the US public, a symbol of hope following the devastation of the Great Depression with many families finding it hard to put food on the table, and an illustration of New York at that time, built by immigrant labour.
The campaign hopes that the recreated image can resonate in a similar way with a modern audience connecting it with a modern problem. Mental health still suffers some stigmas despite being on the verge of epidemic proportions.
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “The Lunch atop a Skyscraper image is famous for its message of hope and camaraderie between workers, so it’s heartbreaking to think that the same number of tradespeople seen in the photo die from suicide every single week.
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“Unfortunately, our research found that almost nine in ten individuals don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health, yet this is one of the most positive steps people can take to start addressing any issues.
“We hope that by raising awareness of mental health in the trades, this stigma can be removed and the situation can start to improve.”
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