Mental health first aid means recognising, responding and referring. You do not need to be a therapist to make a difference to a workmate, and on a worksite the few minutes it takes can matter enormously. If someone is in immediate crisis, the front-line numbers are the SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0800 567 567 and Lifeline SA on 0861 322 322, both free and open 24 hours. South African law increasingly treats mental health as part of the employer's occupational health duty.
Practical mental health first aid on a worksite
A simple, five-step approach a supervisor or workmate can use:
- Notice. Watch for changes in behaviour, such as more errors, lateness, irritability, withdrawal or increased substance use.
- Approach. Find a quiet moment. The conversation is set out in checking on your mate.
- Listen. Without fixing or minimising. "That sounds really tough" goes a long way.
- Point towards help. Share the SADAG line on 0800 567 567, the SADAG website at sadag.org, or an Employee Assistance Programme if the site has one.
- Follow up. Check in again a few days later.
The employer's psychosocial duty under the OHSA
SA law has increasingly recognised mental health as part of occupational health:
- OHSA Section 8 requires employers to provide a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, and the growing legal consensus is that "health" here includes mental health. This was set out in a Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr employment law analysis in December 2024.
- SANS 45001, the SA adoption of the ISO 45001 standard on occupational health and safety management, explicitly brings mental health into risk management.
- The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) published a position paper in 2026 confirming that psychosocial hazards, such as excessive work demands, poor management and job insecurity, must be identified and controlled under the OHSA framework, just like physical hazards.
In practice this means employers should include psychological hazards in their OHS risk assessment, provide Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) where reasonably practicable, and train supervisors to spot the warning signs.
What the SA data does and does not tell us
SA-specific mental health data broken down by trade or by construction occupation is not readily available, so we will not pretend otherwise. The South African Stress and Health (SASH) national survey estimates that roughly 9.7 percent of SA adults will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. Attribute any statistic you use to its named source, the way SASH is attributed here, rather than quoting a loose figure.
SA support organisations
- SADAG at sadag.org or 011 234 4837 for counselling referrals, support groups and educational resources.
- Lifeline SA at lifelinesa.co.za or 0861 322 322 for 24-hour crisis counselling.
- SA Federation for Mental Health at safmh.org or 011 781 1852 for advocacy and information.
These crisis and support numbers were verified as at June 2026 and should be re-checked on the live page. Mental health pages should never be sponsored or placed behind a paywall.
Common mistakes
- Thinking you have to fix it. First aid is noticing, listening and referring, not diagnosing or curing.
- Treating mental health as outside the OHSA. The duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace is increasingly read to include psychosocial hazards.
- No follow-up. One conversation and then silence undoes much of the good. Check in again.
- Quoting loose statistics. Attribute every figure to a named source, or do not use it.
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In crisis? SADAG 0800 567 567 ·