Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recently formed a partnership to address mental health and suicide prevention in the U.S. construction industry.
The partnership aims to improve the mental health of construction workers through effective suicide prevention education, intervention, and postvention strategies, as well as to encourage, equip, and empower mental health champions in the workforce, and introduce collaboration between ABC and AFSP chapters nationwide.
“Safety includes total human health—emotional, social, mental, intellectual, financial, occupational and spiritual wellness—and we must continue to raise the bar for safety for the construction workforce of more than 7.5 million,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment, and workforce development, in a news release. “Our people are our greatest asset, and this partnership will take our total human health and safety practices to the next level. Going forward, this is the greatest opportunity to leverage and advance world-class safety for our people, both physically and mentally.”
The partnership will:
· Develop and disseminate education resources on mental health and suicide prevention in workplaces and find and take advantage of opportunities to engage workers.
· Support suicide prevention and postvention education in the construction workplace at all levels of the organizations’ chapters and membership.
· Participate in key events where worker safety and health, as well as safety and health practitioners’ and other professionals’ development are addressed.
· Promote and facilitate the transfer of relevant mental health and suicide prevention and postvention research and findings to practitioners and to the construction workforce.
· Share opportunities with ABC and AFSP chapters on supportive programs and events.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Nov 6, 2020
Jobsite injuries in New York City decline 20% since 2017
Safety training cited as a cause of improvement.
Codes and Standards | Nov 4, 2020
Commercial building owners having tougher time securing insurance policies and renewals
Insurers’ fears of civil unrest in wake of election prompt builder’s risk coverage moratoriums.
Codes and Standards | Nov 4, 2020
Turn rooftops into revenue generators with solar arrays
Lease or ownership models for PVs make more sense than ever.
Codes and Standards | Nov 3, 2020
The argument against gas stoves includes degraded indoor air quality
Asthma seems to be aggravated by cooking with flame.
Codes and Standards | Nov 2, 2020
Wildfires can make drinking water toxic
Updated building codes could mitigate the danger.
Adaptive Reuse | Oct 26, 2020
Mall property redevelopments could result in dramatic property value drops
Retail conversions to fulfillment centers, apartments, schools, or medical offices could cut values 60% to 90%.
Codes and Standards | Oct 26, 2020
New seismic provisions for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program released
The provisions present a set of recommended improvements to the ASCE/SEI 7-16 Standard.
Codes and Standards | Oct 22, 2020
More than 130 building projects have engaged LEED’s Safety First Credits in response to COVID-19
Best practices helping companies develop and measure healthy, sustainable, and resilient reopening efforts.
Codes and Standards | Oct 21, 2020
New technologies and techniques can ‘future-proof’ buildings
Net-zero principles may give buildings longer lives.
Codes and Standards | Oct 20, 2020
Updated AIA Contractor’s Qualification Statement and Warranty Bond documents available
Statement now includes safety protocols and plans, sustainability, and BIM experience.