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Highlight Dimension of the Month: SUICIDE PREVENTION
Suicide Prevention is in recognizing the warning signs of a team member in crisis, knowing how to start a direct conversation, and connecting people to real help before a bad stretch becomes a tragedy. Construction has the second-highest suicide rate of any major U.S. industry, which makes this a workforce safety issue, not just an awareness campaign — it belongs in the same conversation as fall protection and PPE.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Construction ranks second among all major U.S. industries for suicide rate. Male construction workers die by suicide at a rate of 56.0 per 100,000 — nearly double the 32.0 per 100,000 rate for the overall working male population (CDC, National Vital Statistics System, via MMWR). Among construction and extraction occupations specifically, the rate climbs to 65.6 per 100,000 for men.
Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving, and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt by Kevin Hines
Kevin Hines is one of fewer than 40 people to survive a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. In this memoir, he tells the story of that day and the years of recovery after, and makes the case — better than almost anyone alive — for why reaching out for help is never the wrong move.
Above & Below | Sonya Bohmann and Zulg Malik
CIASP's own podcast, hosted by Sonya Bohmann and Zulq Malik, explores mental health in construction from every angle — what's working, what's not, and what needs to change — through candid conversations with people in the industry.
Listen HERE!
Featured ARTICLE: As Mental Health Crisis Grows, Encourage Workers to "Be The Helper"
In 2023, roughly 5,000 construction workers died by suicide and nearly 16,000 died from overdoses, driven by factors like long hours away from family, chronic pain, and production pressure that often intersect with opioid use. CPWR and industry leaders are responding with peer-support messaging that frames workers as "helpers" for struggling coworkers, alongside resources like physician alerts, non-opioid pain-management guides, and initiatives such as Hard Hat Courage program (Construction Dive).
Read the full article HERE!
Featured MBI REELZ: What to Say to Someone Who is Thinking About Suicide
Identify tips and strategies to help someone who might be struggling with mental health issues, including suicidal thoughts. Learn how to prepare and start a conversation.
This is available to all MBI Members. Please sign into your Training Vault. If you need help with your credentials, please contact Nichole Fry at NFry@MBI.Build.
Check out the Reelz HERE
Featured WEBINAR: Leading the Conversation: Mental Health Leadership in Construction
A CIASP webinar featuring board member Kabri Lehrman-Schmid on what mental-health leadership actually looks like on a jobsite — recorded and free to watch anytime.
Featured Talk: Discussing Mental Health and Suicide in Construction | Vince Hafeli
Vince Hafeli, president of Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, has spent 38+ years in construction and nearly became part of the statistic he now speaks about nationally. His TEDxUniversityofMississippi talk makes the case with a hard number: male construction workers die by suicide at roughly five times the rate they die from workplace accidents (CDC/NIOSH, citing 2018 BLS data).
More Resources
- Construction Suicide Prevention Week — Sept. 14–18, National Stand-Down Mon. Sept. 14 @ 1:50 PM CT →
- CIASP Toolbox Talks
- CIASP Video Series (6 Parts)
- AFSP Hard Hat Courage — "Every Voice Matters" video series
