BS 30480: What employers need to know

BS 30480: The new expectations for workplace suicide prevention and what Lancashire employers need to know now

By Lauren McAteer, Marketing & Communications Lead at Lancashire Mind

When a new British Standard is published, it often prompts employers to ask: “What does this mean for us and what do we need to do?” The launch of BS 30480:2025 – Suicide and the Workplace, is one of those moments but this standard carries deeper significance because of the stark reality it responds to.

Suicide may remain a difficult topic, but it’s unquestionably a challenge for workplaces. Most people who die by suicide are of working age and the ripple effect reaches colleagues, teams, families, managers, customers and frontline staff.

This article aims to simplify what the standard means and open a positive, practical conversation for Lancashire employers who want to do the right thing.

Why the BS 30480 matters – the data behind the standard

The statistics around suicide are striking, and they highlight why workplaces are becoming more central to suicide prevention:

Suicide and workplace impact

• Over 6,000 people die by suicide in the UK each year (ONS, 2023)
• Research shows each suicide affects approximately 135 people – including colleagues and witnesses
• One in four adults in England has thought about taking their own life at some point (NHS)

Mental health and employment

The workplace is the most common environment adults are in during the day and 69% of employees say their manager has a greater impact on their mental health than their doctor or therapist. (UKG Workforce Institute Report 2023)

Local context

In the North West, suicide rates remain consistently higher than the England average, making prevention and postvention even more urgent for Lancashire-based organisations. (ONS Regional Suicide Statistics)

These figures aren’t shared to cause alarm or upset, but to underline why employers are increasingly seen as pivotal partners in suicide prevention.

Three things Lancashire employers can do right now

You don’t need a fully formed strategy to begin supporting your workplace. Here’s three simple, free and impactful starting points aligned with BS 30480.

1. Review the emotional safety of your workplace

The standard emphasises that suicide risk often increases when emotional needs go unmet. This includes needs such as:

• Feeling safe
• Feeling valued
• Belonging
• Autonomy and control
• Opportunities to learn and grow

A practical starting question is: “Where in our organisation are people struggling to meet these needs?”

Common workplace factors associated with higher distress include:

• High workload
• Bullying or poor relationships
• Lone working
• Job insecurity
• Financial stress
• Uncertainty during restructures

Small changes such as structured check-ins, improved communication, or reviewing workload fairness can significantly improve emotional safety.

2. Equip managers with confidence for ‘difficult conversations’

BS 30480 is clear that managers are essential to suicide prevention. Yet many managers have never been trained to:

• Spot the warning signs
• Ask about suicide directly
• Respond safely and compassionately
• Know when and how to escalate concerns

The data supports this, with 69% of employees reporting their manager impacts their mental health as much as their partner (UKG, 2023). Meaning we can’t expect managers to carry that responsibility alone without equipping them.

Workplaces can start by:

• Normalising wellbeing conversations
• Sharing internal or external resources
• Encouraging managers to check-in regularly
• Giving managers scripts or prompts to build confidence

3. Identify your organisation’s gaps

Before rewriting policies or establishing new procedures, conduct a simple audit.

• Do we have a suicide prevention policy?
• Would managers know what to do if someone disclosed thoughts of suicide?
• How would we respond if a suicide or attempt occurred at work?
• Do we understand our high-risk worker groups (e.g. lone workers, shift workers, young workers)?
• Is support available and visible to staff?
• Do we need to investing in training

You don’t need all the answers now. Awareness of gaps is the first step to meaningful action.

How Lancashire Mind can help (when you’re ready)

We recognise that most organisations don’t have specialist suicide prevention expertise and they shouldn’t be expected to. BS 30480 offers a framework, but implementation is where support is often needed.

As your local mental health charity, we support employers across Lancashire to:

• Build strategies and policies aligned with the standard
• Train managers and teams
• Develop postvention plans
• Conduct workplace wellbeing assessments
• Create psychologically safe cultures

We work sensitively, confidentially and collaboratively – always recognising the realities and pressures Lancashire employers face.

Discover our workplace support options or talk with one of our training team 

Workplace wellbeing