As we observe National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July, it’s imperative the construction industry focuses on total human health to improve the lives of our employees and strengthen our overall workforce.
For far too long, the issue of mental health has been ignored in the construction industry. However, improving safety is not just about reducing the number of recordable workplace incidents. Safety includes total human health – emotional, social, mental, intellectual, financial, occupational and spiritual wellness – and we must continue to raise the bar for safety for the construction workforce of more than 7.5 million.
According to the Construction Alliance for Suicide Prevention, there are approximately three jobsite fatalities in construction every day and an estimated 10 to 12 suicides among construction workers. The only way to combat these dire statistics is to change the culture in construction and treat mental health just as importantly as job site safety.
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The president of Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey, a trade group representing some 1,200 merit shop contractors around the state, talks about the state of the industry and the organization’s priorities. WATCH NOW.
There are several reasons why workers in the construction industry are at risk for mental health issues and a higher suicide rate than other fields. First, male-dominated industries are more likely to have more suicides, and the construction industry is 97% male, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because of the stigma surrounding mental health issues, men are also less likely to reach out for mental health support for depression and other wellness issues. Additionally, constantly moving to and from different jobsites can create a stressful environment for workers who are displaced from their families, friends and communities. Working long, irregular hours can cause sleep deprivation and mental and physical exhaustion. Employees may also be impacted by layoffs from seasonal work, economic downturns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, causing the loss of income and health benefits. Finally, construction work can be physically demanding and can take a toll on a person’s body, leading to self-medication and addiction problems.
Not only do we need to normalize mental health and wellness treatment, we need to provide training to our employees and managers to identify those at risk and raise awareness of mental health issues in construction. The industry needs to prioritize the early detection of burnout among our workers and provide them with support, both physically and mentally.
To that end, the Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recently announced a collaborative partnership to address mental health and suicide prevention throughout the construction industry. The goals of the partnership are to improve the mental health of construction workers through effective suicide prevention education, intervention and postvention strategies, as well as to encourage, equip and empower mental health champions in the workforce.
The Associated Builders and Contractors has launched the total human health era of construction safety to help lead the charge to promote wellness among our employees. Decreasing the levels of potential stress, fostering a culture of care and diversifying our workforce are critical to helping us reach our goals. At ABC-NJ, we see each individual as a whole person and promote practices that speak not to just a person’s body, but their heart, mind and spirit, too.
Construction companies that best adapt to total human health philosophies will attract the best employees. The construction sites of the old days are gone. Now more than ever, we need to provide physical safety, mental well-being, and a brighter future for our workforce.
Samantha DeAlmeida is president of Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey.
