WAUKESHA, Wis. — You see them almost every day. On your way to work, along the highway, and at construction sites. But what you might not know - is that every year - more and more construction workers are dying by suicide.
"The construction industry is one of the top five industries for suicide-related deaths," said John Huggett the vice president of central operations for the Boldt Company.
According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide rates within the construction industry is four times higher than the national average.
"They have hundreds of decisions that they make every day that put either themselves at risk or their fellow coworkers," said Huggett. "All of these demands create a significant amount of pressure."
That stark reality is what pushed the Boldt Company, a Wisconsin-based construction firm, to change the narrative.
"We started realizing throughout our organization that many of our employees were really struggling with mental health," said Huggett.
In 2021 they partnered with the QPR Institute, a suicide awareness and prevention program that teaches people how to become gatekeepers that can recognize when someone is in a mental health crisis and get them help.
"Just getting people to open up is half the battle," said Cade Fitzgerald, a construction worker for the company.
Fitzgerald, who's passionate about mental health help and knows firsthand how it can save lives, jumped at the opportunity to become a gatekeeper.
"Just last week a foreman came up to me and he was concerned about one of his own workers. I met with that individual and we talked about what was going on," said Fitzgerald. "When you get them to open up and talk about what's going on, it makes it easier to tackle the problems."
Since launching the program, more than 100 employees have volunteered to become gatekeepers within the Boldt company, which the firm sees as a positive sign.
"We utilize a sticker that goes on the employee's office door or on the hardhat and that sticker says it's okay to ask for help," said Huggett.
Getting them one step closer to achieving their goal of breaking the stigma surrounding mental health in the industry
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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