DOL Calls on Employers and Workers to Combat Surge in Construction Worker Suicides with Suicide Prevention Safety Stand-Down
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the suicide rate for men in construction and excavation was five times greater than the rate of all other work-related fatalities in the construction industry, and these workers are four times more likely to end their own lives than people in the general population. To assist workers in the construction industry, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has joined a task force of construction industry partners, unions and educators to raise awareness of the work stresses seen as the causes of depression and the thoughts and acts of suicides of construction workers.
Coinciding with Construction Suicide Prevention Week, the task force is calling on construction industry employers, trade groups and other stakeholders to join OSHA’s Suicide Prevention Safety Stand-Down from Sept. 5 – 9. This weeklong event seeks to raise awareness of unique mental health challenges facing construction workers by asking employers to pause work for a moment to share information and resources and urge employees to seek help if needed.