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Suicide risk and mental health challenges are jobsite safety issues.
A crisis in Oregon and across the nation
Based on the most recent CDC data, workers in the construction industry face the second highest suicide rate of any industry in the U.S.—at over three times the national age-adjusted suicide rate. Experts attribute several factors to this disturbing trend, including the physical rigor of the job, financial instability caused by the work’s often seasonal nature, and a male-dominated workplace that has traditionally emphasized dealing with problems alone rather than asking for help.
Our country now loses more construction workers to suicide than to jobsite injuries or accidents.
In response, dozens of Oregon’s industry leaders, from construction firms to organized labor and insurance companies, have come together to prevent suicide and promote mental health with the same innovation and tenacity that the industry has brought to improving workplace safety.
A new initiative for Oregon
Learn More about the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership
The Oregon Construction Industry Suicide Prevention Taskforce was founded in 2019, and has quickly grown to nearly 100 members. These members represent construction companies large and small, subcontractors, building trades and their unions, safety specialists, OSHA, SAIF, and healthcare partners. Since its founding, the Taskforce developed a detailed strategic plan of three Objectives and 15 specific Strategies to fulfill its mission:
Mission: To develop and implement a unified strategy for reducing suicide and promoting mental well-being in the construction industry.
With this mission, the Taskforce aims to become the go-to resource for construction industry stakeholders in Oregon to lower suicide rates and improve mental health among workers in the industry. It envisions the industry building a culture of mental wellness to match the culture of physical safety that the industry has worked so hard to create.
The Strategic Plan for suicide prevention in the Oregon construction industry
This Strategic Plan is the result of countless hours of discussion and collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders. It represents a common understanding of the urgency of this crisis, and the very real intention of small companies, large corporations, and government agency representatives to collectively build a stronger, safer future for construction workers across Oregon.
Partnership Members
| ALTA Consulting | Grady Britton | Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries |
| American Heart Association | GROW Construction | Oregon Health Authority |
| Andersen Construction | Hoffman Construction | Oregon OSHA |
| Apollo Mechanical | Hoffman Structures | Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute |
| Arctic Sheet Metal | Howard S. Wright Construction | Perlo Construction |
| Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon | IBEW Local #48 | R and H Construction |
| Associated Builders & Contractors | Jacobs Engineering | REFA Steel Erectors |
| Associated General Contractors – Oregon Columbia Chapter | JE Dunn Construction | Robert Evans Company |
| Associated General Contractors of Washington | Joe Esmonde Consulting | Safe from Hate |
| Associated Wall & Ceiling Contractors | KOIN | SAIF |
| Benson Industries | Laborer’s International Union of North America – Northwest Region | Seabee Construction |
| Brown & Brown Northwest | Lakeside Industries | Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association – Oregon & SW Washington |
| Cascade Centers | Lease Crutcher Lewis | Skanska |
| Clackamas County | LIUNA Local #737 | State of Safety |
| Coffman Excavation | Marsh USA, Inc. | Strata Consulting |
| Colas Construction | MHA Resource Company | Traveler’s Insurance |
| Construction EHS Manager | Mortenson Construction | Turner Construction Company |
| Construction Financial Management Association | Multnomah County | UA Local #290 |
| CSDZ | Northwest Carpenter’s Union | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
| Donald B Murphy Contractors | OHSU Institute of Occupational Health Sciences | VA Portland Health Care System |
| Dynalectric Oregon | OHSU Safety Climate Lab | Weitman Excavation |
| Fortis Construction | Oregon Building Trades Council | Western Partitions Inc. |
| G.E.W. LLC | Worksystems |
Contact Us
Max Margolis, Construction Suicide Prevention Coordinator – [email protected]
Construction QPR Liaison
Steven Frost, LEED AP BC+C, CHS, ASP, CSP – [email protected]
Education & Training Committee Chairs
Kristina Ewing, Wellness & Benefits Manager | Andersen Construction – [email protected]
Lisa Ransom, Director of Apprenticeship & Training | OR Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) – [email protected]
Innovations & Solutions Committee Chairs
Aimee Johnson, Program Analyst, Innovations, Suicide Prevention | U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs – [email protected]
Kenny Herrera, Environmental Health & Safety Director | R&H Construction – [email protected]
Branding Marketing Committee Chairs
Judy Cushing, Founding CEO | Lines for Life – [email protected]
Natalie Cordova, Vice President | Marsh Risk & Insurance Services – [email protected]
Task Force & Partners
Bill Barr, Chair | Construction Industry Suicide Prevention Project – [email protected]
