24 I PSAI Association Insight, October 27, 2021
OSHA Provides Resources
to Prevent Suicides
From U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health
Administration website, accessed Oct. 19, 2021
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workplace
suicides have continued to rise through 2019 (the most
recent year for which data are available). Of the top ten
occupations in which worker suicides were most prevalent,
several are related to the construction industry—including
heavy and tractor trailer drivers; first-line supervisors of me-
chanics, installers, and repairers; construction laborers; and
maintenance and repair workers (general).
There's no single cause for suicide. Suicide most often
occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create
an experience of hopelessness and despair.
Help is available. The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has a web page devoted to suicide
prevention. Learn to recognize the risk factors, protective
factors, and warning signs at the website of the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention. An article from the
American Society of Safety Professionals shares why
construction workers are so likely to commit suicide,
and how to break the stigma and silence.
