POWERDAY TAKES PART IN ‘ENTER THE ICE’ CHALLENGE TO RAISE AWARNESS OF MENTAL HEALTH

Suppliers from across the construction sector come together for the Enter The Ice Challenge to raise awareness of mental health

Powerday joined forces with scaffold and access company PHD Access, Construction Sport – an organisation dedicated to shining a light on mental health issues in the construction industry – and specialist media agency Superbeam to take part in the first ever Enter The Ice Challenge, to raise awareness of mental wellbeing within the construction sector.

The challenge, which took place on 5 November 2022 at Powerday’s Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Willesden, involved members of staff from all four organisations submerging themselves in a skip filled with ice and freezing cold water for between five and seven minutes.

In the UK, construction worker suicide rates are three times higher than the national average[1], with two people working in construction taking their lives every day – a devastating statistic which calls for urgent action on improving mental wellbeing in the workplace. Which is why Powerday, PHD Access, Construction Sport and Superbeam joined forces to spread awareness of techniques – such as cold-water therapy – that can be used to develop emotional wellbeing and therefore improve lives to prevent losses.

Throughout the challenge, Breathwork Instructors were on hand to support and advise the participants on breathing techniques to cope with immediate cold exposure shock. Alex Eslick from Eslick Alchemy, one of the Breathwork Instructors, commented: “Cold exposure is a very effective way to release positive energy, influencing the autonomic nervous system and immune response. Endorphins are released, easing stress levels and anxiety, therefore helping people to live longer and with more zest. The challenge is a great example of just one behaviour that can boost mental health; especially for those working in construction, finding out what works best to connect your mind and body is key as businesses look to improve the emotional wellbeing of their employees.”

Speaking after the challenge, Tara Crossan, Head of Marketing and Communications at Powerday, added: “Taking part in the Ice challenge took me way outside of my comfort zone, but I wanted to do this to prove to myself that the techniques work, and help spread awareness of the importance of mental and emotional wellbeing in the construction industry. The first minute was definitely the toughest, but a combination of the breathwork methods Alex had taught us, and encouragement from everyone there meant that we were able to more than double the amount of time we expected to be able to stay in.

“This is a topic that is very close to our hearts at Powerday and we hope that this challenge helps people to see the many health benefits that cold exposure offers, in a new light. Even having a cold shower every day will have a positive effect on anxiety levels and mental health! We want to thank everyone involved for taking part in this hugely important exercise for our industry.”

Bringing the challenge to life, creative media agency Superbeam managed the production and filming of the event to visually demonstrate the activities, behaviours and therapies that people can employ to reconnect with their minds and bodies in a fun, digestible format, contextualised within the construction sector.