Mental health in construction shouldn’t be a once-a-year conversation. At EDiS we take time to reinforce this important message across our jobsites and offices: safety must include the mental well-being of our employees, contractors, family and friends. So while this month is dedicated to mental health awareness, our attention to it should be year round.
64% of construction workers report struggling with their mental health. That’s about two out of every three workers. According to the CDC, construction workers have the second-highest suicide rate of any occupational group in the United States. An estimated 6,000 construction workers died by suicide in 2022 — roughly six times the number who died from jobsite injuries that same year. Somewhere between 10 and 12 construction workers die by suicide every single day.
In construction, a safety stand down or a monthly safety meeting are familiar and effective tools. They are both intentional pauses in normal operations to focus our attention on a specific hazard, concern, or area requiring heightened awareness. We can use these opportunities to bring awareness to the topic and communicate the signs of mental health behaviors and provide resources for assistance. The objective is straightforward: to stop, gather our co-workers, friends and family, and have a focused discussion about mental health and overall strategies for prevention and assistance.
Mental Health Discussions
A Mental Health discussion is dedicated specifically to topics that affect the emotional, psychological, and behavioral well-being of employees. Unlike a traditional conversations that may focus on fall protection, excavation, or equipment safety, this discussion addresses the less visible factors that can impact on a worker’s health, concentration, decision-making, and overall ability to perform safely. In our May Safety Meeting, EDiS will lead conversations around:
• Recognizing signs of stress, fatigue, burnout, and emotional distress
• Understanding how personal struggles can affect focus and safety on the job
• Reducing the stigma associated with discussing mental health concerns
• Reminding employees of available support resources
• Reinforcing the importance of checking in on coworkers and speaking up when something seems off
With these practical conversations, the goal is to help one another understand that mental strain, like any other risk factor, can have direct consequences if it goes unaddressed.
Why EDiS Continues to Prioritize This Conversation
Construction remains a demanding profession. Long hours, schedule pressure, physical fatigue, financial concerns, and personal responsibilities do not disappear when a worker arrives on site. In many cases, they are carried onto the job each day. Historically, our industry has done an excellent job training employees to recognize visible hazards.
Mental health requires that same level of intentionality.
We need to continue the effort to educate people on the importance of how to identify the signs of mental health struggles with the same level of attention.
An employee who is distracted, exhausted, overwhelmed, or dealing with significant personal stress is at greater risk — not only from a wellness standpoint, but from a physical safety standpoint. Judgment can be impaired. Communication can suffer. Attention to surroundings can diminish. Small mistakes can become larger incidents. For that reason, mental health is a critical part of our Safety & Health program. These discussions are designed to reinforce that connection and continue normalizing the conversation.
At EDiS, our safety culture is guided by Project Zero — our commitment to zero injuries, zero incidents, and zero compromises when it comes to protecting people. Project Zero has always been rooted in the understanding that incidents are preventable when we put people first. Part of putting people first is working so that behaviors are identified early, discussed openly, and addressed proactively. That philosophy applies to mental health as well.
The better people are mentally, the safer they are operationally. That is a direct extension of Project Zero’s purpose.
If you, a coworker, or family member are struggling, please reach out. The organizations below have resources available.
