Issue Overview
- Suffolk Construction, based in Boston, along with mental health nonprofit Home Base, has written an open letter urging OSHA to require suicide prevention training as part of basic OSHA certifications.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction industry has the second-highest rate of suicide among all US industries, at 45.3 per 100,000 workers.
- Many military veterans who join the construction industry have mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety, on top of injuries sustained from concussive events during their service.
The Letter
The letter coincided with both Construction Safety Week and Mental Health Awareness Month. Suffolk’s Chair and CEO, John Fish, said the timing was “ripe.”
“Our collective goal as an industry should be for every worker to return home safely to their families each day,” the letter reads. “It is our job as industry leaders to train, support, and educate our workers on the symptoms of mental illness and identifying suicide risk factors, which should be taken as seriously as any jobsite risk. The time is now to rally our entire industry to address this dire issue.”
The OSHA Response
OSHA acknowledges the fatalities in the construction industry from drug overdose and suicide, but unfortunately these are both outside of the agency’s purview for providing a safe workplace. “We believe mental health and suicide should be part of every conversation about jobsite safety. We understand that OSHA is aware of the challenges of mental health issues in the construction industry and takes them seriously… The purpose of our letter was to continue drawing attention to this issue,” said Fish.
Addressing the Issue
- By training more workers to recognize signs of mental distress in OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certifications, Fish said more lives could be saved. “The reality is improving mental health through training and certification can impact company performance and productivity, but it can also save lives… Addressing this important issue is the right thing to do,” Fish added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Suffolk Construction and Home Base write an open letter to OSHA?
- Suffolk Construction, along with mental health nonprofit Home Base, wrote an open letter to OSHA to draw attention to the high suicide rate in the construction industry.
- Many military veterans working in construction have mental health issues from their service, which compounds existing injuries and increases the risk of suicide.
- The two organizations are urging OSHA to include suicide prevention training in basic OSHA certifications to address the issue.
What did the open letter say?
- The letter calls for industry leaders to prioritize suicide prevention training equally with jobsite safety.
- Suffolk and Home Base want to train workers to recognize the symptoms of mental illness and to identify suicide risk factors.
- The letter highlights the urgency of the issue and how it is time for the entire construction industry to address it.
What is OSHA’s response to the open letter?
- OSHA is aware of the challenges of mental health issues in the construction industry and takes them seriously, but these are outside of the agency’s purview for providing a safe workplace.
- OSHA believes that mental health and suicide should be part of every conversation about jobsite safety.
- The agency acknowledges the fatalities in the construction industry from drug overdose and suicide and supports Suffolk and Home Base’s efforts to raise awareness of the issue.
How can suicide prevention training impact the construction industry?
- By training more workers to recognize signs or symptoms of mental distress in OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certifications, lives can be saved.
- Improving mental health through training and certification can also enhance company performance and productivity.
- Suffolk Construction and Home Base believe that suicide prevention should be prioritized equally with jobsite safety.
What percentage of military veterans join the construction industry after their service?
- Around 13% of military veterans join the construction industry in some capacity after their service.
- Many veterans face mental health issues from their service, which can compound existing injuries and increase the risk of suicide.
- Training workers to recognize the symptoms of mental illness and identifying suicide risk factors is essential to address the high suicide rate among construction workers.
Closing Statements
Addressing mental health issues and preventing suicide in the construction industry is of critical importance. Suffolk Construction and Home Base’s call to action for suicide prevention training to be mandated as part of basic OSHA certifications is a positive step toward addressing this problem.
We urge all companies in the construction industry to prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of their workers and to work together to develop and implement effective suicide prevention training programs.
