Why Suicide Prevention Must Be a 365-Day Leadership Priority

In construction, safety is measured by the number of people who return home at the end of a shift. We track recordables, monitor TRIR, and review near misses. But there is another number we too often avoid: how many of our colleagues are silently struggling—and how many we lose to suicide when the workday ends.

This reality demands our full attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that men in Construction & Extraction occupations died by suicide at a rate of 65.6 per 100,000 in 2021, while men working across the broader construction industry had a rate of 56.0 per 100,000. Both figures are nearly double the average rate for working-age men in the U.S. (32.0 per 100,000).

By comparison, the overall U.S. suicide rate—across all demographics—was 17.8 per 100,000 in 2021. That means construction workers are dying by suicide at rates three to four times higher than society overall. In fact, suicide in construction now accounts for nearly 18 percent of all suicides among workers, despite the industry representing just over 7 percent of the U.S. workforce. Recent studies estimate that more than 5,000 construction workers die by suicide each year, far surpassing the number of jobsite fatalities.

The message is clear: suicide is not a marginal issue. It is one of the most pressing safety and workforce challenges in our industry today.

Why Construction Is at Higher Risk

The hazards are not limited to scaffolds and trenches. They are woven into the culture and structure of our work. Work instability from layoffs, seasonal cycles, and project cancellations contributes to chronic insecurity. Long hours, irregular shifts, and extended travel keep workers away from families and communities. Injuries can lead to chronic pain and sometimes opioid misuse. And across the industry there is still a culture of silence, where “toughing it out” is seen as strength, leaving suffering hidden until it is too late.

These challenges extend beyond the field. Office teams face relentless deadlines, cost pressures, and the stress of managing risk on multi-million-dollar projects. Mental health is not just a field issue—it is a company-wide reality.

Leadership Must Take the Mantle

Here are actions every construction leader should take:

Make a Public Commitment. Take CIASP’s STAND Up pledge: commit to creating safe cultures, providing training, raising awareness, normalizing conversations, and decreasing risk. Put this commitment in orientations, safety meetings, and leadership communications.

Integrate Mental Health into Safety. Add mental health to your safety manuals, toolbox talks, and pre-task plans. Treat it with the same seriousness as fall protection or confined space protocols.

Train Everyone—Field and Office. Roll out AFSP’s “Talk Saves Lives: Construction” program. Train supervisors, project managers, and executives to recognize warning signs and to connect—not counsel—employees to help.

Build Peer Support Networks. Identify respected foremen, project administrators, and office managers to serve as peer champions. Give them training and a direct line to professional resources.

Provide 24/7 Access to Care. Post the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline everywhere: on badges, pay stubs, safety boards, and breakroom walls. Ensure Employee Assistance Programs are confidential, free, and easy to access.

Address the Work Stressors. Use the same continuous-improvement mindset that drives productivity to reduce overtime, balance workloads, and manage travel. Leaders control many of the stressors that drive despair.

Plan for Crisis and Aftercare. Include mental health crises in your emergency response plans. If a suicide occurs, provide counseling, support teams with compassion, and communicate with care.

More Than a Safety Issue

We pride ourselves on building—with precision, quality, and care. But our responsibility goes beyond concrete and steel. It is about building a culture where mental health is viewed as safety, where asking for help is a sign of strength, and where no one feels alone on or off the job.

This is not a box to check during Suicide Prevention Week. It is not a campaign that runs once a year. It is a mandate that runs every hour of every day.

As leaders, it is our mantle to carry. The statistics are grim, but they are not destiny. With courage, visibility, and a commitment to action, we can change the trajectory.

Success in construction should not only be measured by projects delivered—but by lives saved.

Resources

• Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP): preventconstructionsuicide.com
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): afsp.org/construction

Brian Gallagher is Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development, for PPC Partners, a leading specialty contracting company. PPC Partners is the parent company for PieperPower, Pieper Automation, MP Systems, MetroPower and CarolinaPower.