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Home » Leadership » Building Community, Saving Lives: Construction Suicide Prevention Starts on the Jobsite

September 8, 2025

Building Community, Saving Lives: Construction Suicide Prevention Starts on the Jobsite

Latest posts by Atlantic Research Team (see all)

Construction is tough. The deadlines are brutal, the pressure is constant, and the culture has long celebrated being “tough enough” to take it all on without flinching. But here is the truth nobody really likes to say out loud: sometimes the toughest thing you can do is admit you are not okay.

That is exactly why Construction Suicide Prevention Week exists. This week, crews across the country are shining a spotlight on one of the most pressing issues in our industry. The 2025 theme is “Build Community.” It is short, it is simple, and it is exactly what we need. Because the reality is, nothing makes a job site safer, stronger, or more resilient than knowing the people next to you have your back.

Why should we care about “community,” anyway?

You can have the best safety gear, the sharpest tools, and the most bulletproof schedule, but if the people on your crew feel isolated, those things only go so far. Community is what fills in the gaps.

When you build community, you are not just throwing around buzzwords. You are lowering the risk that someone feels invisible on your site. You are proving that asking “How are you really?” can be as important as checking the scaffold. You are making sure no one carries heavy stuff alone, and we are not talking about just the materials.

 

What community feels like when it’s real

Here is the test. If your crew feels like:

 

  • Someone will notice when they are not themselves,
  • They can hear their supervisor say “mental health matters here” without rolling their eyes,
  • Speaking up does not lead to judgment; it leads to support.

Then you are building a community that actually means something. This is what safety culture looks like when it evolves to meet the moment.

 

Leaders, you set the tempo, so make it count

If you are in charge of a crew, the tone is yours to set. You can be the person who makes talking about mental health feel just as normal as talking about the day’s tasks. Leaders do not have to fix everything. What they need to do is make it clear that silence is not the only option.

  • Run a toolbox talk this week and make mental health part of the agenda.
  • Say the number 988 out loud, write it down where people can see it. It is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and it works day and night.
  • Be willing to show your own humanity. Admitting you’re stressed doesn’t make you weak; it makes you real, and that is what your crew needs most.

Yes, we made it easy for you with a free kit

You do not have to wing it. We created the Toolbox Talk Kit (PDF) to take the guesswork out of these conversations. It is free, practical, and ready to use. Inside you will find:

  • Straightforward talking points for supervisors.
  • A few sharp but simple discussion questions to get your crew talking.
  • Crisis resources, including the 988 Lifeline.
  • The next step for leaders who want more than just one conversation.

Expand your skills with Mental Health: Awareness and Support Training

Talking about mental health is one thing. Actually knowing what to do when someone on your team is struggling? That’s another level. That’s where the Mental Health: Awareness and Support Training Course comes in. Think of it as adding another tool to your belt. Not a wrench or a drill, but the kind of knowledge that helps you spot when a coworker is burning out or silently carrying too much.

The truth is, mental health is just as critical to keeping people safe. Stress, exhaustion, and silent struggles can be every bit as dangerous as a missing guardrail. Recognizing this is not a distraction from safety; it is an essential part of it.

September will come and go, but the conversation must continue.

Keep the check-ins going, keep making mental health part of the safety conversation, and keep reinforcing the fact that nobody needs to carry their struggles in silence. When you build community on your job sites, you are not just helping productivity or morale. You are saving lives. And that might be the most important project you ever take on.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Suicide Prevention Strategies.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) – Suicide Statistics.

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