SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The CDC report released in July 2016 was a first-of-its-kind study that separated suicide rates by industry. It examined 2012 data of 12,312 suicides reported in 17 states and found that the industry with the highest rate of suicide was farming, fishing, and forestry (84.5 out of 100,000 workers), followed by construction and extraction (53.3 out of 100,000 workers). Just by sheer numbers, however, construction and extraction topped the list with 1,324 suicides. (Roughly 4 Construction Workers a Day)

The  Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters produced an impactful video concerning Mental Health.  Watch the video to hear Vice President Frank Hawk’s personal experience with suicide and see why addressing mental health head on is more important now than ever before.

 Contributing Factors Include: 

• Stoic, “old school,” and “tough guy” culture
• Fearlessness and “thrill-seeking”
• Promotion of supervision without leadership training
• Family separation and isolation with travel
• Sleep disruption/deprivation due to shift work
• Seasonal layoffs and end-of-project furloughs
• Tolerant culture of alcohol and substance use
• Chronic pain
• Industry with highest use of prescription opioids
• Performance pressure (schedule, budget, and quality)
• Access to lethal means

Safety on the job site of the Union Construction Workers is the number one concern for members of AGC of Northwest Ohio. This website was created to put together a variety of Mental Health Resources in one place to assist in the Prevention of Suicide in Construction. Information on Safety Training such as Fall Protection, OSHA Training, CPR and more can be found HERE.