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Suicide is a very difficult subject to talk about openly in the workplace. Until recently, I didn’t realize it was such a tragically big problem in the construction industry. I heard a report by Yuki Noguchi on NPR about how a construction company in Salt Lake City, UT, suffered the loss of an employee by suicide a few years ago. The company, RK Mechanical, eventually created a suicide prevention program that’s considered to be a model for the industry. 

Noguchi reports that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction and mining industries have the highest suicide rates of all occupations. Five years ago, an RK worker ended his day by giving away all of his personal work tools which his co-workers thought was a little odd. He then went home and killed himself.  

The death shook the company so deeply that RK’s co-owner, Jon Kinning, reached out to industry leaders and experts on suicide to keep it from happening again. It resulted in numerous changes, including 24-hour access to counseling services and crisis training for managerswhat was found to be the most important change was the willingness to talk openly about mental health issues. Kinning says the new policies have probably helped RK prevent 15 suicides since 2014. 

Diligence in the industry needs to expand and continue. Noguchi writes, “Risk factors for suicide in the industry are still numerous, and even RK is not immune to them. Most construction workers are young and middle-aged men—the same population that is likely to die by suicide. Unhealthy substance use runs high, especially where opioids are prescribed for workplace injuries. Lots of military vets work in construction, and many struggle with past trauma.” 

Talking openly about suicide and mental health will always be difficult, especially in the construction industry. But a few moments of uncomfortable conversation could save a life. 

Do you think some kind of suicide prevention should be put in place at your work?