Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction companies, contractors and industry organizations across North America are taking part in Construction Suicide Prevention Week from Sept. 14-18, with this year’s campaign focused on recognizing progress while continuing efforts to prevent suicide in the industry.
The 2026 theme, “Building on Progress,” reflects recent data showing that suicide and drug-related death rates in construction have begun to decline.
This year’s campaign includes a pledge for participants to “learn at least one new way to seek help for someone in need.”
The pledge: I pledge to learn at least one new way to seek help for someone in need, encourages construction professionals to become familiar with resources available to themselves or co-workers, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, employee assistance programs and toolbox talks focused on suicide prevention.
By taking this pledge, workers commit to learning about at least one resource available to support yourself or someone else in crisis. Ways to learn more include being informed about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, your company Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or other resources such as toolbox talks (like those available on our resource page here).
Click this link to take the pledge or download a printable pledge in English or Spanish.
More than 700 organizations are participating in the 2026 campaign, including contractors, construction companies, industry associations, safety organizations, educational institutions and public agencies.
Participating construction companies and organizations include DPR Construction, Turner Construction, Swinerton, JE Dunn Construction, Haskell, The Weitz Company, Mortenson, Kiewit, Tutor Perini Building Corp. and McCarthy-Bush Corp., among hundreds of others.
Organizers are also collecting photos and videos from participating companies and organizations for inclusion in a 2026 campaign recap video.
“Building on Progress” focuses on continuing to remove barriers to help, strengthen pathways to support and create a workplace culture where asking for help is viewed as a sign of strength.
Construction Suicide Prevention Week was launched in 2019 by a group of volunteers from across the construction industry who wanted to address the higher-than-average number of suicides in the sector and provide workers with resources to help prevent deaths.
The campaign takes place each September during National Suicide Prevention Month and highlights the challenges faced by construction workers while encouraging employers and workers to look out for one another.
The goal is to build on the progress already made while continuing to make mental health support a more visible and accepted part of construction workplace culture.
“We build structures together, and we build people up the same way,” organizers said.
