The construction industry has the second-highest rate of suicide in the United States at 53.3 per 100,000 workers according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In the U.S. there are approximately 123 suicides per day that breaks down to one death every 12 minutes (SafeBuild Alliance).
In 2020, a mission-driven group of volunteers from across the construction industry came together with the goal of saving lives. They collaborated to launch the inaugural Suicide Prevention Week for the industry — a week dedicated to raising awareness about the higher-than-average number of suicides in the construction industry, and to providing resources to help prevent those deaths.
Every year, during September — National Suicide Prevention Month — the construction industry will dedicate a week to raising awareness about the unique challenges workers face in construction that lead to suicide and what we can do to prevent it.
Suicide Prevention Week is September 5-9, 2022. It will take all of us to prevent suicide.
Companies are encouraged to check the resources provided on the site to plan activities with their workers during Suicide Prevention Week. Participating companies will receive an OSHA-recognized, industry-endorsed certificate of participation and a badge they can display on their website and social media.
In 2021, more than 68,000 workers from 32 states registered their participation in Construction Suicide Prevention Week via this website.
When it comes to preventing suicide, the idea of where to start can be overwhelming. There is a library of resources to help you get started — from videos to websites to toolbox talks and much more, the site has what you need to put a program together for your workplace that could save lives.
For the resources, visit www.constructionsuicideprevention.com.
Source: OSHA
