Around 1,000 sites, office and production facilities up and down the country will halt work for two hours to take part in the Stop. Make a Change campaign.

In the largest stand-down event ever undertaken in the construction sector, workers will be briefed and discuss plans to tackle four key health and safety priorities for the year ahead.

These are aimed at bringing about a step change in attitudes towards mental health, fatigue, plant safety and respiratory health.

Since the Civil Engineering Contractors Association launched the initiative last November more than 50 firms – from the largest clients and contractors to small and specialist SMEs – have backed the move.

Each business will focus on improving performance and will specifically target one of the four priority areas, supporting better outcomes for staff.

Taking into account supply chain partners which will also get involved, organisers estimate a further 3,000 firms will be impacted by today’s stand-down events.

CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “When we first started planning Stop. Make a Change we hoped that we might get up to 10 companies and a few thousand employers involved in this first year.

“The response from industry has been tremendous, with a real desire to use the event as an opportunity to deliver positive change across the sector. We are looking forward to events today, and the health, safety and wellbeing improvements that they will drive”.

Stop. Make a Change has been supported by CITB’s Structured Fund.

CITB chief executive Sarah Beale said:“Stop. Make a Change signals a new, heightened awareness of health and wellbeing issues among construction firms and their employees across the UK, which CITB is pleased to support.”

Companies taking part: