Having just be advised that a member of the public has unfortunately taken thier own life on a premises that we are responsible for i would like to know if anyone has any experience in recording but not neccessarily reporting and any suggestive actions. I feel that we must take reasonable steps to create an environment where acts such as this can be prevented by making environmental changes. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Those determined to take their own life succeed regardless of what we try to do.

All you can do is ensure as far as is resonably practicable the site is secure to prevent intrusion.

I think that the general; idea is to make these places-“unattractive” to suicide attempts. You don’t leave things lying about that might be used help people take their own lives to or provide access to high places. Regular patrols and the like discourage suicides: people who wish to take their own lives tend to want privacy but as Roundtuit said if someone is determined to take their life they will do so. This poor guy climbed a 90 m chimney https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/27/family-reveal-anguish-of-man-phil-longcake-who-died-in-carlisle-chimney-tragedy  to do it.

I don't believe it is the training that results in the trauma but the suicide itself.

An untrained person may be in an even worse position, feeling guilt that they didn't know what to do and may have handled it badly.

The training should include recognising that your efforts may not be successful and considering the effects on yourself.

This topic is covered within the Mental Health First Aid syllabus.  For me this training gave me confidence that I would have some idea what to do as well as what not to do, instead of having to make it up as I went along.  It also included recognition that even the best efforts may not be successful.

This is analogous to first aid for cardiac arrest, where first aiders are taught what to do, but also told their efforts may very well not be successful and to get support themselves afterwards.

Thankfully I haven't been put to the test in either scenario but in both cases I much prefer knowing what to do to the prospect of either standing by helplessly or making things worse in a real emergency.

Julian

There are published standards that give clear guidance on the parameters that fencing should meet in a range of different scenarios.

So, as example for highways it's all in MCHW - Major Contracts for Highways Works jointly published by Highways England and its counterparts in the other 3 countries in the UK. 

The built environment such as a multistorey car park covered in some parallel document.

None of the standards is designed to prevent 100% of those determined from falling. All comes down to looking at the case law on Occupiers' Liability - guidance available on that too, including some aimed at making sure that we don't overdo the protective measures, though perhaps that isn't a big issue with what might be a concrete carbuncle!