CONSTRUCTION WORKERS HEALTH TRUST BENEFIT
Availing of a regular health screening is an excellent way to prevent serious health issues. A health screening checks out how well your body is working and helps catch any problem early when they are easier to treat or even prevent.
Blood pressure levels, in particular, are a good indicator of your general health - high blood pressure (hypertension) can damage your heart and blood vessels over time and often has no symptoms until it's very serious. Hypertension is by far the most common health issue our CWHT nurses encounter when screening on construction sites!
Cholesterol levels also need to be kept in check as when cholesterol builds up in the arteries it can block blood flow and raise the risk of heart attack or stroke.
The lead company's Health and Safety Officer books a CWHT health screening for their site. The HSO will provide workers with a QR code so the can book their screening for a day and time that suits their work schedule.
When the worker attends the screeing with the nurse the general health and lifestyle conversation between the CWHT nurse and the worker and the results of the health tests carried out are completely confidential to the worker.
The only time a CWHT nurse will communicate with the HSO about the worker's screening is if the worker has a test result that indicates that he/she requires emergency department attention. The nurse will seek HSO support to make the ED transfer. However the nurse will not indicate any medical details as to why the transfer is being made, only that it needs to happen.
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BENEVOLENT FUND BENEFIT
The Construction Workers Benevolent Fund (CWBF) provides some financial assistance to workers in difficult financial situations arising from bereavement, serious illness or unforeseen family circumstances. Workers who find themselves in such financial distress can contact CWBF to be considerted for support. They must complete a grant application form and provide supporting evidence. The application is presented to the CWBF Board of Trustee for consideration and decision.
A Winter Hardship Grant can also be applied for by retired construction workers whose main source of income is a social welfare payment and who are suffering winter heating/fuel bill distress.
Over the years the CWBF has distributed €10 million in small grants to construction workers in need.