Preventing suicide and overdose in the construction industry: Takeaways from CPWR workshop

Washington — A new white paper from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training details key takeaways from a two-day workshop on “Combating Suicide and Overdose Fatalities Among Construction Workers.”

The workshop took place Aug. 1-2 in the nation’s capital and was funded by NIOSH.

The white paper outlines training available to help workers, best practices for training effectiveness, and smartphone apps to use and hotlines to call when a worker is in need. The resource also looks at related challenges, such as stigma.

CPWR Executive Director Chris Trahan Cain highlights research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that both male and female workers in construction and extraction jobs “have a higher prevalence of dying by suicide than the average male or female worker.”