Worker Mental Health

Beard is the metal building representative for the Iron Workers International, and he wrote, “The American Addiction Centers reports 15% of construction workers have a substance abuse issue compared to 8.6% of the general population. The rate of suicide is more alarming than that; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports construction workers are four times more likely to commit suicide than the general population with those in steel erection leading the pack.”

Here’s another statistic I found. According to a 2020 study by British Columbia-based Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP), 83% of construction workers have experienced a mental health issue.

Safety on the job site goes beyond tying into good fall protection; safety includes mental health.

The CDC report Beard references is from a 2020 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the CDC, and it identified the reasons for these high numbers among construction workers. First, most workers are men, who generally underreport mental health issues, so don’t get proper treatment. You know that’s true. I’ve seen workers nearly slice a finger off and refuse to go to the emergency room. Do you think a little brain hurt is going to make them ask for help?

There are also factors in the industry that contribute to the feelings of helplessness and loss of control that can cause mental health issues to arise. Many workers are suffering from chronic pain due to overuse. Others feel extraordinary pressure to perform to tight schedules. And, because they go to work early, a lot of workers don’t get enough sleep.

What is it about our industry that creates an environment for these kinds of risk factors? The CDC report says they include:

• Competitive, high-pressure work environments
• High prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse
• End-of-season layoffs
  Separation from family

According to a 2020 study by British Columbia-based Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP), 83% of construction workers have experienced a mental health issue.

The first two items on that list are their own unique problems, but layoffs and family separation fit right into the culture of the metal construction industry. You’ve heard me say it before, but every time the industry takes a downturn, whether seasonal or because of broader economic trends, the first thing it does is kick the workers to the curb. Construction is a great job, but because of the uncertainty of layoffs, it doesn’t make a great career. Layoffs cause economic uncertainty and hardship for families that need to put food on the table, cover mortgage payments and put money aside for education and retirement.

Addressing the issues of layoffs would go a long way to helping ease the mental anxiety so many workers feel as well as make the skilled trades more attractive to young people. It’s a two-fer, and it requires owners to have solid business skills, avoid unnecessary risks and be cautious with their overhead and costs.

Not only do many of the skilled tradespeople in our industry face the prospect of layoffs, they also travel all over the country for different jobs. Those jobs can last months, and many of them live in hotels during the week and only get to see their families on the weekends. That’s a hard life, and while the work week is only supposed to be 40 hours long, someone living in those circumstances is actually on the payroll 24 hours a day while away from home.

Those kinds of stresses and risks can create mental unbalance. People who are unmoored from a predictable environment and worry about economic possibilities because of uncertainty around jobs can experience the kind of mental health issues we see in the construction industry.

Safety on the job site goes beyond tying into good fall protection; safety includes mental health.