The Dangers of a Challenging Job Environment

A licensed contractor is sitting at a desk with a hard hat on his head.

 

The Dangers of a Challenging Job Environment: Construction Professionals Take a Physical & Emotional Beating

 

The construction industry is no walk in the park.  On the job, you are subject to managing and performing in a high-pressure environment filled with regimented schedules, tight budgets, and excruciating manual labor – all while delivering high quality work day in and day out.  It takes a special type of person to thrive in this world.  In a recent late 2016 report, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) found that the construction industry is within the top 3 “at-risk” industries for suicide, behind fisherman and farmers at 53.3 suicides per 100,000 professionals. Why is this the case?  And more importantly, how do we prevent industry professionals from going down that path?

 

High Suicide Rates – Why?

 

It is no surprise that the construction industry is a male-dominated sector.  Mix red-blooded, working males with classic “tough-guy, can-do” attitudes of fearlessness and stoicism and you create a perfect storm in terms of the proliferation of suicides.  The CDC found that amongst males aged 25-54, suicide is the fourth highest cause of death…this age bracket happens to comprise the greatest number of active construction professionals in the United States.  Long hours, chronic manual labor pains, exposure to high-stress projects, remote locations, heavy machinery, contractual employment, dependence on drugs and alcohol, and a lack of access to proper healthcare can definitely take a toll on a man.

 

Couple these factors with internalized “go-getter” industry culture regarding the completion of assignments and you have a hard-headed recipe for disaster.  Construction professionals are so used to being “the stoic man,” that they rarely explore other, more qualified avenues when it comes to their physical and emotional problems – the weight is all on their shoulders to bear.  When construction professionals do reach out, they typically are given prescription painkillers, opioids, and antidepressants that do more harm than good in the long run.  On top of all of this, repetitive physical labor exposes construction professionals to an increased level of both physiological and physical fatigue – in which just one tiny mistake with a piece of heavy machinery could endanger the lives of their coworkers as well as their own.  

 

Prevention – It’s All About Awareness and Preparedness

 

Depending on what kind of construction professional you are, the prevalence of suicide can either come to you as a shocking surprise or a sad fact.  To address and solve this problem, we must start first with awareness.  Talk to your leadership if you’re an employee about holding free, informal talks on the industry risks when it comes to physical and mental health.  If you’re a business owner, start the charge from the top down and educate your staff about the inherent risks and outcomes within the industry.

 

All in all, educating your constituents or your fellow professionals about suicide prevention is the the way to go.  Create an open atmosphere of dialogue where people can share their stories, feel valued, and bond with others that are living and working through the same plight.  Develop mental and physical health access points for all individuals, whether they are new-hires or old hats on the job.  Increase your focus on personal safety as well as workplace safety in an effort to create an environment where people actually do care.  Build in responsibility and support by creating close knit teams of buddies that ensure to handle problems on a peer-to-peer basis before having to interface with external forces or higher ups.  Lastly, train your staff and supervisors to recognize the early signs so that you have proper time to reach out and take care of employees before they are too far gone.

 

At the end of the day, the goal should be a zero-suicide industry.  This is no easy task, but it starts with you…whether you are a construction business owner or just a laborer.  Strive to create an atmosphere where suicide is not only discussed, but also approached from an educational, community-based approach that holds all construction professionals together.  Get out there and spread the word today – you never know who might need to hear that message.

 

 

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