As part of an ongoing commitment to improving mental health, Safety Mate is a proud partner of Black Dog Institute, a critical medical research institute that investigates mental health across the lifespan – from childhood to adulthood.
The collaboration centres around Safety Mate’s ‘Black Dog’ product range, which supports Black Dog Institute’s work in the mental health space.
The range includes five signature products: three safety gloves, the Black Dog Stream Evo safety glasses and the Skytec 3030V P2 respirators. A portion of profits are channelled directly towards the Institute, bolstering efforts in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses.
“All Australians deserve to feel safe at work and that includes our mental safety as well as our physical safety,” Black Dog Institute senior research fellow Dr Mark Deady told Safe to Work.
“Most people will spend more than a third of their adult lives working, and this could be even higher in roles that require regular travel or FIFO [fly-in, fly-out] schedules, so we know that mental health at work is closely connected to overall wellbeing.”
Since forming its partnership with Black Dog Institute, Safety Mate has surpassed $1 million in donations to the organisation.
“Since 2021, Safety Mate and Black Dog Institute have worked closely on initiatives to support Safety Mate’s customers and the broader mining and construction sector,” Safety Mate director Clint Tee told Safe to Work.
“This partnership also included participating in one of Black Dog Institute’s workplace mental health training programs, that is backed by research and delivered by experts.
“The program is designed to build employee’s awareness and understanding of their own mental health and how to have conversations with others.”
Deady emphasised increasing understanding of the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health is one of the first steps to building better mental health at work.
“It’s encouraging to see organisations like Safety Mate support their people by providing these important training opportunities,” he said.
Tee said the Black Dog product range is more than just personal protection equipment, it symbolises mental health support and awareness.
“If we can contribute through a collaboration like this, we can help provide mental health information and resources to those that need it,” he said.
Learn more about the Safety Mate Black Dog range here.
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