From September 14 through 18, 2026, the United States will observe Construction Suicide Prevention Week, an awareness campaign that coincides with National Suicide Prevention Month. The week draws attention to a problem that has long simmered within the construction industry: a strikingly high number of suicides among construction workers. Research from the U.S. Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) underpins much of the data and risk factors highlighted during this week.
Numbers That Give Pause
The figures from the United States are stark. Construction workers die by suicide at a rate four to five times higher than the general U.S. workforce. This gives the construction industry the second-highest suicide rate of any occupational group, at 53.3 per 100,000 workers. In 2024, more than 5,000 construction workers aged 16 to 64 died by suicide in the U.S., compared with roughly 900 who died in jobsite accidents. According to CPWR research, several factors contribute to this, including work-related injury, workplace intimidation and bullying, limited access to paid leave, labor regulations, and community-level factors. Traveling construction workers, who move from hotel to hotel or campground to campground between projects, also face elevated risk: their lives often revolve entirely around the jobsite and temporary lodging, stripping away the social support that workers with a fixed home base typically have.
Why Help Often Goes Unsought
Many U.S. employers now offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP): 84% of workplaces with 500 or more employees, 66% of workplaces with 100 to 499 employees, and 32% of companies with 1 to 19 employees. Up to 60% of U.S. workers theoretically have access to such a program through their employer. Uptake, however, remains strikingly low: only 4% to 10% of employees with access actually use it, largely due to persistent stigma around mental health. The article points to three recommended actions: raising awareness of available mental health resources, encouraging EAP use by breaking down stigma, and addressing the systemic workplace factors that contribute to the crisis. For urgent need, the source article points readers to the U.S. 988 Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline, available free and confidential 24/7 — a resource specific to the United States.
For EHS professionals, this topic is relevant well beyond national borders: mental health is increasingly recognized as an integral part of comprehensive occupational safety policy, alongside physical risks such as falls, injury, and exposure to hazardous substances. The Dutch and broader European construction sector faces comparable risk factors, including high workloads, flexible/temporary employment, and project-based mobility, making this an ongoing point of attention for prevention policy within the industry.
Source: Construction Suicide Prevention Week Brings Awareness to Industry Challenges, September 8, 2026, https://www.ishn.com/articles/115585-construction-suicide-prevention-week-brings-awareness-to-industry-challenges
