Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Construction
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Construction has the highest suicide rate of any industry. This is a safety issue — it belongs in our toolbox talks alongside falls and electrocution.
- Risk factors in our industry include physical pain, long hours, time away from family, job insecurity, and a culture that discourages talking about struggles.
- Watch for warning signs in your crew: withdrawal, hopelessness, giving away possessions, increased substance use, talking about being a burden, or drastic mood changes.
- If you're concerned about someone, ask directly: 'Are you thinking about hurting yourself?' Asking does not plant the idea — it opens the door to help.
- The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988. Your company's EAP is another confidential resource.
Ask the crew
Does everyone know how to reach the 988 Lifeline and our company's EAP — and would you feel comfortable reaching out if you needed to?
Standards this talk is built on
- Section 5(a)(1)
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
In Jobsite, workers sign in on their phones in English or Spanish, and you keep who attended, when, and where, with every other talk your crew has had.
Using an AI assistant? Jobsite's free MCP server serves this library, with OSHA rule text, no sign-in: https://jobsitecerts.com/api/mcp/public (/mcp)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.