With the full support of its member companies, in October and November 2024, MPA Lime conducted an industry-wide wellbeing survey. The survey formed the first stage of a long-term initiative to measure and benchmark wellbeing performance across the UK lime industry to identify and implement opportunities for improvement.

The survey used the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Stress Indicator Tool. Participating companies committed to reviewing the results, taking action where needed, and repeating the survey at periodic intervals to track progress.

The next industry-wide HSE SIT survey is scheduled to take place in October and November 2026.

Each participating company receives a confidential report covering the results of its own workforce, alongside an anonymised report for the UK lime industry as a whole. This enables businesses to benchmark their performance against industry peers and, the reports also benchmark against the wider HSE database of organisations that have completed the SIT survey.

Acting on the Findings

Survey results were made available to members immediately after the survey closed, enabling swift action during early 2025. Initiatives included:

• Wellbeing training for employees.
• Increasing the number of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Additional wellbeing training for supervisors and managers.
• Engagement sessions led by external wellbeing specialists.

Member companies had already identified opportunities to improve welfare facilities and wellbeing awareness. The survey findings reinforced the importance of these initiatives, leading to investments ranging from small but impactful workplace improvements to major projects costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Improving Workforce Health and Wellbeing

Further initiatives introduced by members during 2025 included:

• A monthly health and wellbeing programme focusing on topics such as heart disease, healthy eating, and breast cancer awareness.
• Enhanced occupational health provision, including additional screening and health checks for cancers, cholesterol levels, and major organ functionality.

These enhanced health assessments helped identify a number of previously undetected health conditions, enabling individuals to seek medical advice and treatment at an earlier stage. This reinforces the value of proactive health screening as part of a broader commitment to workforce wellbeing.

Looking Ahead

The increased focus on mental health and wellbeing has been widely welcomed across the lime industry. The 2026 survey will provide an opportunity to measure progress, recognise achievements, and again, identify further areas for improvement.

With strong commitment from industry leaders and the benefits of sector and industry-wide benchmarking, the UK lime industry is continuing to raise standards, improve workforce wellbeing, and deliver tangible benefits for employees, and employers, across the sector.