Association establishes industry alliance to prevent suicide among construction workers

Princeton, NJ – In an effort to promote mental health awareness and help prevent suicide among construction workers, the Construction Financial Management Association has formed the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

Resources available through the alliance include articles on steps employers can take to help prevent worker suicide. The alliance was spurred by a report released in July by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing construction and extraction workers had a suicide rate of 53.3 per 100,000 workers in 2012 – second only to farming, fishing and forestry workers (84.5 per 100,000).

“The larger conversation around suicide prevention in the construction industry has taken a tremendous leap forward with the formation of CFMA’s Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention,” Mark McCallum, CEO of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (the first organization to join the alliance), said in an Oct. 3 press release.

The alliance also is encouraging the use of social media to get the message out, using the hashtag #SuicidePreventionCFMA.

Organizations involved in the alliance include Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, and the National Association of Women in Construction.