Attention to mental health in this industry is critical as the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the United States. According to the CDC, approximately 6,000 construction workers committed suicide in 2022, an increase from 2021. To put this in perspective, for every incident related to personal injury, there are potentially 6 suicides.

Design effective programs

It’s difficult to create a culture of support in an industry made up of workers who aren’t comfortable discussing mental health. Additionally, industry indicators contribute to this lack of discussion. “Historically, the industry has rewarded very high-challenge, low-support environments,” says Kagerer. “We put people in situations where there are risk factors that increase the stakes. One factor is that sometimes a construction worker doesn’t know where their next job will be. So if you go where the work is, you leave your support system behind and that can be a challenge.

Kagerer addressed this challenge using a personalization-based approach. “We have identified people, not only in our security team, but also those working on the ground to resolve this issue. We wanted to create a better environment by listening to the people doing the work. To do this, the leaders were identified by superintendents or foremen as someone others naturally turn to when looking for help.

Once identified, these leaders complete a year-long course where, in addition to learning security protocols, they also learn communication and leadership skills, and part of this training is related to mental health. Once certified, field safety managers display mental health certification stickers on their hard hats, ensuring easy access.

“This program has been a game changer,” says Kagerer. “It sends the message that we are all in this together. Maybe someone wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a superintendent, but they feel comfortable going to someone they consider a peer.

And this year, the company launched the Mind Saver program, created by Asma Bayunus, the company’s EHS operations manager. It adds mental health training to the training provided in CPR and first aid.

Reluctance to ask for help

Finding programs that workers prefer is essential. For example, it turns out that employees tend not to use the standard EAPs (employee assistance programs) offered by their company. In a 2024 survey by Firstup, among employees who have access to wellness programs, only 28% have taken advantage of them, and 23% say they are unlikely to do so. Kagerer discovered this to be true through his own experience.

“I am very fortunate to be able to speak at national conferences and have been in a room full of security professionals and construction professionals, and I asked the question bluntly: If you had an employee assistance program and you had a problem, how many of you would raise your hand and use it? And the room is silent.

So, Jordan Foster sends short security bytes to employees’ phones on a wide range of topics, including stretching and flexibility and overall worker health. Firstup’s research supports that these changes work. Their survey found that 32% of employees said they would be more likely to use benefits if information was easier to find.

In addition to carefully designing large-scale programs, Jordan Foster monitors changing working conditions. As heat stress increases, the company is aware of employee working conditions and schedules and makes adjustments. Examination of working conditions led the company to establish a standard number of hours that employees can work. This is at odds with general industry norms of very long working hours.

The way companies think about TWH continues to evolve, Kagerer says. “To take the issue of suicide in our industry as an example, there are many resources, both at the industry level through various associations, and at the corporate level, where people are talking about this issue. Awareness has really increased. Overall, I think the industry has made great strides in TWH as it broadens our view of security, but there is still a long way to go.