Canadian construction council launches suicide prevention campaign
Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
The Canadian Construction Safety Council (CCSC) has launched an industry-wide suicide prevention campaign aimed at raising awareness, reducing stigma and making mental health a more visible part of workplace safety.
The campaign, called Looking Out for Each Other, is being rolled out during National Suicide Prevention Month in September. The CCSC is calling on employers, trade partners, unions, industry associations and workers across Canada to participate by sharing mental health resources and creating opportunities for open conversations on jobsites and in offices.
There is growing recognition across the construction industry of the need to address mental health and suicide prevention as critical components of health and safety. The construction industry has made major progress in how it manages physical safety. Now it must bring the same urgency, consistency and leadership to psychological health and safety.
When leaders, supervisors and co-workers make it easier to speak up, listen without judgment and connect people to help, we strengthen the safety culture of the entire industry. The CCSC is made up of 12 of Canada’s major general contractors. Its members are encouraging organizations to take four practical steps as part of the campaign.
They include four practical actions:
- Hold a health and safety moment to review the Suicide Prevention Toolbox Talk with teams on worksites and in offices;
- Share The Mental Health Continuum Model (MHCM) – Canada.ca to help individuals better understand their mental well-being and what actions they can take;
- Make support resources visible and easy to access; and
- Model behaviours that encourage dialogue, openness and connection.
The campaign comes as the construction industry increasingly recognizes mental health and suicide prevention as important components of occupational health and safety.
Construction workers can face a range of pressures that may contribute to mental health and substance-use problems, including physical pain, chronic stress, financial insecurity and isolation.
The CCSC said the industry has made significant progress in addressing physical safety and is now applying the same urgency, consistency and leadership to mental health.
Behind the hard hat, workers may be dealing with pressures that are not immediately visible to colleagues or supervisors.
Through Looking Out For Each Other, CCSC members are emphasizing the importance of recognizing those pressures and creating workplaces where workers feel able to speak up and connect with others.
The campaign’s central message is that improving safety in construction also means looking out for the people working alongside you.
Tools and Resources
International Association for Suicide Prevention
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Construction Suicide Prevention
The Mental Health Continuum Model (MHCM) – Canada.ca
