Georgia Mental Health Alliance calls on laborers to 'stand down' and consider mental health safety

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In the construction industry, mental health incidents occur at four times the national average, according to the Associated General Contractors of Georgia .

Credit: GPB / File

The workers building schools and homes need more than hard hats and safety goggles for protection. They also need support for their mental well-being, Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGCG) CEO Mike Dunham said, noting that mental health awareness is new to the construction industry.

The Georgia Mental Health Alliance, a network of labor, occupational safety, and public health organizations are encouraging “safety stand downs” as part of National Mental Health Awareness Month. 

"It's a an opportunity to have everyone focus on a specific safety issue," Dunham said. "We've done it for crane safety. We've done it for trenching safety. We've done it for a lot of different things."

Now, laborers are addressing mental health.

"I like what one of my members said, 'I can see a bad scaffold, I can see a bad trench, and I know how to address it. I can't see into the mind of one of my employees that's under duress or is having a mental issue,'" Dunham said.

AGCG  offers resources for companies and individuals who want to engage workers in a Safety Stand Down meeting, including toolkits for handling stress, creating a work culture that prioritizes mental health and how to listen and provide assistance to a worker who desires help.

In the construction industry, mental health incidents occur at four times the national average, Dunham added.

"It's pretty alarming," he said. "It's something you just cannot not address."