A prominent contractor association in New York City is leading an initiative to raise awareness about the critical need for mental wellness in the construction sector and to advocate for legislative changes.

The Business Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA), representing 1,200 union contractors in the city, points to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that construction workers are six times more likely to die by suicide than from job-related injuries and four times more likely to commit suicide than the average American. With a suicide rate of 53.3 per 100,000 U.S. workers, the construction industry ranks second only to mining. Furthermore, workers in this field face a disproportionate struggle with opioid addiction; the Center for Construction Research and Training reported that in 2022, overdose deaths in the industry were 17 times higher than fatal work injuries.

To address these pressing issues, BTEA is urging legislation to enhance mental health support alongside physical safety measures, which includes:

• Annual reporting by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on suicides categorized by industry.
• Incorporation of mental wellness into the Site Safety Training Program by the New York City Department of Buildings.
• Mandating discussions on mental wellness as part of on-site safety orientations.
• Availability of Naloxone (Narcan) on larger construction sites to treat drug overdoses.

Additionally, BTEA is requesting that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) include mental wellness in its 10-hour and 30-hour safety training programs.

The BTEA's efforts are supported by various contractor and owner organizations, unions, and non-profits, including the Real Estate Board of New York, the New York Building Congress, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, and the Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

BTEA emphasizes that while laws and regulations already mandate safety training for nearly 400,000 construction workers in New York City and many more across the country, mental wellness is notably absent from this training, representing a missed opportunity to save lives.

Mental health challenges among men—who comprise the majority of the construction workforce—often go untreated, as men are generally less likely to seek help, according to a National Library of Medicine study. A representative from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) noted that the lack of mental health resources “goes hand in hand with having a very male-dominated industry.” Although AGC has established its own Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Task Force and provides mental health resources, it has not yet called for legislative action.

Some companies are proactively addressing mental health issues independently, but BTEA is advocating for mandatory mental health programming specifically for the construction industry in New York City. Should OSHA adopt BTEA's proposal or similar initiatives emerge in other regions, it could lead to changes on a national scale.

Contractors are encouraged to follow the developments of BTEA’s advocacy efforts in New York City and prepare to implement mental health training if the proposed reforms are approved. It may also be beneficial for contractors to incorporate mental health awareness into their safety training, even without legislative mandates.

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