MENTAL HEALTH
When you think of the biggest risks on your worksite,
what comes to mind? Most people think
about accidents, hazards or safety procedures
not being followed. They’re often surprised to learn that the biggest
danger to construction workers is suicide.
On average, accidental death rates in the Canadian construction
industry are around 14.8 per 100,000 people, whereas suicide
death rates for construction workers are 53.2 per 100,000. Both
numbers are too high – but the suicide rate is nearly four times
higher. In fact, construction has some of the highest suicides of
all sectors, and analysts have worked hard to figure out why. Their
conclusions? Demanding tasks, inconsistent work and a culture
that encourages people to try and “tough it out” are all contributing
factors. The recent stoppages with COVID-19 will only exacerbate
these factors.
While we may not be able to impact these factors, we can take
significant measures to keep construction workers safe and alive.
How? Well, the good news is that the majority of suicides can be
prevented, and the even better news is that you don’t need to be
a mental health professional to help save someone’s life. When
it comes to suicidal ideation, knowing the signs and symptoms,
knowing how to talk to someone if you notice something is wrong
and how to connect them to support can make a difference and
save someone from suicide.
If you want to be a helper, an effective way to achieve that
is through proper training – for some options, visit www.livingworks.
net. Like anything on the job site, having the right
training will help you be more confident and effective and
keep you and your team members safe. In effect, your training
will give you a more robust and hands-on version of the steps
outlined below.
Recognizing the signs
What does it look like when someone is struggling with thoughts
of suicide? No two people express their situation in quite the
same way, but almost everyone displays signs of some kind.
LivingWorks, one of the leading developers of suicide prevention
training, prefers to call them “invitations.”
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Have the Talk, Save a Life
Learning how to have difficult conversations can be a lifesaving skill
By Owen Stockden, LivingWorks
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