Suicide rates in the United States increased in the past two decades; in fact, suicide is now considered to be an “increasingly serious public health problem” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”). Of particular concern here is the extremely high suicide rate for those working in the construction industry. In 2018, construction workers died from suicide at five times (500%) the rate of all fatal work-related accident injuries. For details, read “Partnering to Prevent Suicide in the Construction Industry – Building Hope and a Road to Recovery,” written by Trudi McCleery, MPH; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Christina Socias-Morales, DrPH; and CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH and published by the NIOSH Science Blog on September 9, 2020.
Things are getting dire. A 2023 survey undertaken by Equipment World within the construction industry discovered that “…73% of respondents knew someone who had died by suicide and 46% know someone who survived a suicide attempt.”
Moreover, the CDC confirms that more construction workers are perishing from suicide than from all other work-related injuries combined (including the Fatal Four and all other work accidents).
Read, “Construction’s Silent Killer Pt.1: Why is the Industry’s Suicide Rate So High?” written by Ryan Whisner and published by Equipment World on September 12, 2023.
For more on construction worker risks, see: New Construction Worker Safety Report: 43% Jump in Road Construction Worker Deaths; and What Is The Most Dangerous Job in Indiana and Illinois?
Why are Construction Workers at High Risk for Suicide?
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), suicide is one of the leading causes of death for working adults in this country. Researchers and industry leaders are working to find the reasons why construction workers face such a great risk of suicide, with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention positing the following factors here:
Access to lethal means: People who have access to, and familiarity with, lethal means like firearms, pills and high places, are often less afraid and more capable of self-inflicted harm by these means.
Capability for fearlessness: When a workplace has a culture of recklessness, bravery and/or stoicism, and people are rewarded for being tough, they are often less likely to reach out and ask for help.
Exposure to physical strain or psychological trauma: Workplaces that expose employees to physical or psychological injury through traumatic life-threatening events can experience symptoms of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, or burnout that can contribute to suicide despair.
Culture of substance abuse: Workplaces that informally support a culture of self-medication to relieve stress can experience escalating substance abuse problems that also increase the risk of suicide.
Fragmented community/isolation: When workers are often in transitory or seasonal employment, they can experience a lack of belongingness and a higher level of uncertainty that adds to a sense of isolation and lack of meaning.
Humiliation/Shame: When a humiliating job failure occurs and the employee’s main source of identity is their work, this event can trigger depression and suicidal thoughts.
Entrapment: When employees feel that they must do something they would not normally do because they see no other way to meet their goals, hopelessness can result. Sometimes workers in the industry experience the “golden handcuffs” phenomenon: feeling entrapped into the one line of very stressful work because they see no other way to sustain a certain standard of life for themselves and their families.
Workplaces involved in community suicide deaths: Construction sites that include bridges and buildings are sometimes the death sites for suicide. These types of community suicides can trigger suicidal thoughts or depression in job site workers.
Nature of the work: Cyclical work with regular periods of lay-offs and re-hiring causes uncertainty about employment. Workforce and skill shortages result in laborers working overtime to complete projects. The combination results in a “pressure cooker” atmosphere that can overwhelm employees.
Sleep disruption: Working long or abnormal hours can affect sleep, causing mental and physical exhaustion. This affects performance, increases the probability of injury, and can exacerbate other mental health concerns.
Read, A Construction Industry Blueprint: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace, published by the Carter J Spencer Foundation and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention in 2015, pages 3-4.
How Employers Can Help Stop Construction Worker Suicides
No one is closer to a construction worker on a work site who is at risk of suicide, other than his co-workers, than those who are supervising or managing aspects of that workplace. Understanding the complexities of this issue is vital to turning around this crisis situation for our construction workers.
Based in Frankfort, Illinois, the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) was created by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) in 2016 with the goal of making the construction industry a “zero suicide industry” in the United States.
CIASP offers a number of resources for construction companies that involves things like training; intervention; and education on particular issues facing veterans; problems exacerbated by substance abuse; and more. There is no one easy fix here. Things from the impact of shift work to the need to address the current stigma against workers discussing suicidal thoughts or issues must be considered by all construction employers.
There are approximately three jobsite fatalities in construction every day and an estimated 10 to 12 suicides among construction workers. In the construction industry, mental health awareness and suicide prevention are just as important as job safety issues.
Now is the time for the industry to STAND up for suicide prevention and address it as a health and safety priority by creating safe cultures, providing training to identify and help those at risk, raising awareness about the suicide crisis in construction, normalizing conversations around suicide and mental health, and ultimately decreasing the risks associated with suicide in construction.
Justice for Construction Workers and Their Families After Suicide
As advocates for worker victims and their loved ones in the aftermath of a work accident tragedy, we support the growing recognition of the unacceptably high suicide rate in this country, particularly in the construction industry.
September is recognized as Suicide Prevention Month around the world. We support this public awareness campaign, particularly its efforts to curtail the high risk of suicide for workers in our construction industry.
We encourage employers, managers, contractors, supervisors, co-workers, colleagues, family members, and loved ones, to be aware of the following warning signs for adults, as explained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It is noted that the “[r]isk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, and if it seems related to a painful event, loss, or change.”
Warning Signs for Suicide in Adults:
- Talking about or making plans for suicide.
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
- Talking about being a burden to others.
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Sleeping too little or too much.
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated.
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
- Displaying extreme mood swings.
For those considering suicide, they can call or text 988 at any time, day or night, to chat with someone who cares and wants to help.
Talking to Construction Workers Who May Be at Risk of Suicide
Anyone who is worried about a construction worker’s risk for suicide can also call or text 988 for help. One of the key considerations here is to simply talk with the construction worker – tips are provided by SAMHSA that include:
- Be direct. Talk openly and matter-of-factly about suicide.
- Be willing to listen. Allow expressions of feelings. Accept the feelings.
- Be non-judgmental. Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad. Don’t lecture on the value of life.
- Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support.
- Don’t dare him or her to do it.
- Don’t act shocked. This will put distance between you.
- Don’t be sworn to secrecy. Seek support.
- Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.
- Take action. Remove means, like weapons or pills.
- Get help from people or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.
For more, visit 988lifeline.org.
Everyone working on any type of construction site here in Indiana and Illinois (residential; commercial; road; etc.) knows these are very dangerous workplaces. Construction workers go on the job each day where they face serious or deadly dangers at every side. Pressures on these jobsites are almost incomprehensibly high, and when combined with extreme personal stressors, things can seem overwhelming and too much for the most dedicated construction professional.
Employers, contractors, supervisors, managers, and others on the construction site must be alert and aware to the risk of suicide on all our construction sites and take the needed steps to help any worker who may be at risk.
Read:
- The Construction Workers’ Viewpoint: Work Site Safety and Suicide Rates
- Who Can Be Held Liable for Construction Worker Accidents?
- Construction Workers: The Most Dangerous Job Today
- Construction Worker’s Danger of Being Hurt or Killed on the Job: High Risk and Little Protection
- Construction Workers in Indiana and Illinois Deserve Respect for Working One of the Most Dangerous of Jobs.
It is a travesty that our construction industry is plagued not only with the high risk of work accident injuries involving things like fatal falls; trench failures; and the like, but also that so many construction workers are confirmed to be victims of suicide. This must change. Please be careful out there!
