Good Morning,

Suicide prevention in construction is a major problem that needs to be addressed, as the industry experiences one of the highest suicide rates compared to other professions. Factors such as job stress, financial instability, long hours, physical strain, and a traditionally masculine culture that may discourage seeking help contribute to mental health challenges. The best way to help prevent a tragedy from occurring is to bring awareness to the workforce and ensure that the message "Its okay not to be okay" is spread to the masses.

To help spread awareness of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the construction industry, the JIB, NYECA, and Local Union #3, IBEW has distributed 988 poker chips and hard hat stickers to the members of Local Union #3, IBEW and NYECA contractors. These two small tokens are a simple but effective way to help get the message out to anyone in need.

September 9-13 marks Construction Suicide Prevention Week,which aims to raising awareness about the challenges the construction industry faces everyday. There will also be an online lunch and learn held by OSHA on September 10th at 12:00pm that can be accessed here.

There are several tool box talks on this topic in the Safety Meeting app and eSafetyline website that are included in your NYECA membership.

See below for additional resources on how to prevent suicides in construction.

5 Things to Know

Role of Employers

Workplace Stress

We encourage anyone interested in participating in the NYECA Safety Committee to reach out to evangelista@nyeca.org.

The next meeting will be taking place via Zoom on Tuesday November 12 at 3:00pm.

If you have any question, you may reach out to the Association Office.

Thank You