Workers in Construction at Higher Risk for Suicide

According to the American Society of Safety Professionals based on research by the CDC, suicide rates are highest among males in the construction and extraction occupational groups.

“The construction industry is kind of a perfect storm of all the risk factors that we know contribute to suicide risk,” says Sally Spencer-Thomas, lead of the Workplace Task Force within the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

These risk factors include demographics, the work culture within construction, and the current opioid abuse crisis in construction. The article published by the ASSP includes steps that safety professionals, supervisors, and employers can take to address the issue.

Additional resources can be found at the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.