Far too many construction workers know someone they worked with who left the job at shift’s end and went on to take their own life. In each of these events, had there been signs that no one caught? Were those who may have noticed comfortable speaking up, and knowing how to help? What was learned from these tragic losses? All contractors should reflect on their organizations and ask, if a worker was suffering, would anyone on the team know what to do?
Suicide among construction employees has become a crisis that poses a far greater risk to workers than the traditional perceived workplace safety hazards. Worker fatalities typically involve things such falls, caught-ins, electrocutions and struck-bys. However, suicide claims five times as many lives as all other construction fatalities combined, yet it hasn’t been subject to the same kinds of discussion or preventative focus. In fact, it’s been a hands-off subject, despite the impact it has on the availability of labor. That is starting to change, as employers and organizations step up to the need, with an increasingly comprehensive focus on awareness, prevention and support.
Suicide has become a global workforce issue given the common factors behind its rise. It’s an act more often committed by males and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 97% of the U.S. construction workforce is male. Work pressures are also a major contributor. The seasonal work aggravates job security concerns and labor-intensive repetitive work can lead to injuries and chronic conditions. This, in turn, can add prescription drug and alcohol abuse as a means to self-medicate and further compound the industry’s mental health issues. The pandemic has amplified some issues, creating uncertainty and stress over jobs and health (for starters), and has made mental health issues more urgent to address, not just in construction.
The numbers paint a grim picture for both the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., where 6% to 7% of all workers suffer from major depression, the suicide rate in construction occupations is 49.4/100,000. This is nearly four times greater than the national average, and translates into 10 to 12 suicides a day in construction. It’s similarly worrisome in Canada, where the rate of suicide among men in the industry is three times the national average – 53.2 versus 17.3 per 100,000 workers.
To really stem this crisis takes a multi-dimensional approach. It’s encouraged for employers to make counselors available in the wake of a suicide to help co-workers deal with their grief and possibly their guilt. The strategy must include a plan to manage crises and provide support, but more must be done in advance of the loss. Best-in-class employers align mental health awareness and empowerment with other safety and health initiatives, to provide a comprehensive approach. In order to break down the stigma associated with mental health, the strategy must span prevention and education with the right tools and resources, presented in the right context and environment. This requires leadership to take an active role in making mental health awareness a part of the company’s culture.
More than one contractor has set up a suicide prevention program after facing the sobering reality that their own workers were taking their lives. When a productive, impactful individual takes their own life, the impact to the organization, family and communities is profound. That’s how RK, a 1,500-worker construction firm in Denver, came to start its program in 2014, one that many in the industry consider a model. Among its components are 24-hour access to counseling and lenient leave policies, coupled with crisis training for managers to ensure the need is met with the appropriate response.
They have also successfully tackled what might be the most challenging aspect of addressing the issue: getting over the awkward cultural barriers and stigma that can hinder the sharing with peers of their anxieties, challenges and feelings. The company credits the “toolbox talks” it has several times a week with removing much of the stigma associated with mental health issues. These barriers are often only perceived but are still real in our employee’s minds. Regular discussions and leveraging of resources provide solid footing for an employee to stand up and ask for help and empowers other to support them on their path. Consistency with actions and delivery go a long way in establishing a judgement free workplace where help can be found when needed.
Employers looking to address the problem can start by visiting the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. All of the resources are free to use and will provide a framework to implement a program, and more specifically how to start. The CIASP has developed a needs analysis and integration checklist, with a clear purpose: To aid construction companies with evaluating how they address mental health in their workplace. The needs analysis will bring into focus how equipped and prepared a company is to handle a mental health or suicide crisis. Few organizations have prepared themselves for this, it’s easier to believe it won’t happen in a company.
The Needs Analysis is broken into five primary areas of readiness for a company to study:
- corporate attention to/consideration of mental health (building a caring culture);
- resources in place for employees dealing with a mental health issue/personal crisis;
- readiness of the company to assist suicidal employees;
- building protective factors; and
- crisis response.
Each section contains questions for evaluation, and management and supervision at various levels of the organization should complete the checklist and then compare perspectives. Make no mistake, this is a moment when leadership needs to be demonstrated, not just talked about. The lives of the very people the construction industry depends on to execute and build the nation’s infrastructure depends on it. Do not minimize the gravity of this issue, get informed. As an industry facing a growing labor shortage, construction executives must do more every day to preserve the working capital of their construction workforce. It’s imperative to look at the whole worker for their mind, body and spirit and support them, not just use them as a machine for productivity.
The topic of mental health, and specifically suicide, can make some uncomfortable, but that can’t stop the industry from building awareness. The good news is there are likely resources available from insurance brokers and a roadmap provided by the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Now it’s up to construction executives to make a choice and act now to start building awareness in their organizations to potentially save a life. While most contractors hope it doesn’t happen to them, at the current pace it may not take too long to find out.
