“The risk factors for construction workers aren’t new,” said Michelle Walker, a CIASP board member who also serves as VP of finance and administration at SSC Underground in Phoenix. “A stoic, independent, tough-guy mentality may keep workers from seeking help. Others may not offer help because they don’t feel comfortable intervening.” According to The Asphalt Pro, Ajax Paving Industries in Florida decided to confront the topic of suicide within their industry head-on. They held departmental meetings with all their teams, determined to get right to the complex issue of mental health. However, it was difficult to get people to really open up about such a complicated issue. So, when the meetings failed, Ajax leadership hosted a Safety Day in January 2022. Over 430 employees attended. While not explaining the entire situation, Vince Hafeli, the company president, explained that “he had been there.” Although he did not share details, his statements resonated. Afterward, employees were more open to discussing the topic, thanking management for giving them resources, claiming it was long overdue, and proclaiming it a “great discussion on mental health.” Ajax Paving continues its journey to mental wellness and took the pledge with CIASP. Some things to consider: men are twice as likely to die by suicide as women, and the demographics in the industry certainly play a role: over 96% of workers are men. Other risk factors might involve chronic pain due to the physicality construction jobs demand, substance abuse, shift work that often disrupts sleep, and time away from home. In the construction industry, three workers will die from work-related accidents on any given day. But 15 will die from suicide. “It is time to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health issues with the goal of creating a zero-suicide industry,” said Sizemore. “Employers can build a resilient workforce by providing access to resources to improve total human health: physical, mental, emotional, social . . . intellectual, financial, occupational and spiritual wellness.” The CIASP developed a Suicide Prevention Integration Checklist to assist construction companies in building their mental health promotion and suicide prevention in the workplace. This checklist was designed for company leaders to evaluate who will be responsible for its implementation. Since every company is operated differently with unique needs and resources, some parts of the list might only apply in some situations. The Integration Checklist is broken down into five parts: 1. Corporate attention to and consideration of mental health 2. Resources in place for employees dealing with mental health issues 3. Readiness within the company to deal with suicidal employees 4. Building protective factors 5. Crisis response • Appearing sad or depressed • Increased tardiness and absenteeism • Talking about feeling trapped • Expressing a desire to die • Decreased productivity at work • Isolating from others at work • Extreme mood swings • Increased use of drugs or alcohol • Decreased self-confidence • Feeling hopeless and helpless • Sleeping too much or too little • Acting anxious, agitated, or reckless • Neglect of appearance of hygiene • Withdrawing from family and friends • A feeling of being a burden to others • Decreased problem-solving ability Employers should incorporate mental health protections to prevent suicide in the workplace. But before doing this, they must first recognize the warning signs of a potential suicide. Those signs include: continued on page 26 Scan the QR code to download the Suicide Prevention Integration Checklist. https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/ legal-issues/construction-liability/trending-now/suicide-prevention-analysis-integration-checklist.pdf 25
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