Suicide is one of the greatest sources of fatalities in the construction industry. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate for men in construction and extraction occupations is five times greater than the rate for all fatal work-related injuries in the construction industry.
A number of factors contribute to the high suicide rate in construction. The cyclical and sometimes isolating nature of the work, pain caused by injury, and the stigma attached with asking for help with emotional and mental health issues are all risk factors. Fortunately, many in our industry are taking action to help prevent their peers and loved ones from completing suicide.
UA Local 290 and its Apprentice Resource Community (ARC) have made a strong commitment to providing peer-to-peer support to help members at risk of suicide get the resources they need. ARC Members Phillip Clark, Jake Klemsen, and Henry Hendrix, as well as Local 290 health consultant Tori Geter, joined me for a conversation about the causes of suicide, ways we can watch for the warning signs, and tactics we can use to help prevent suicide. You can listen to that conversation on my podcast episode 7.
Thanks for doing your part to save lives.
