In our continued efforts to cover the Property & Casualty industry, my editorial staff and I adhere to a simple principle that informs all our storytelling: Insurance can be considered boring, but the things that you insure are not. Therein lies the real story — the human angle. That path often takes you to places you didn't expect, and occasionally leads to topics that bear a lot more discussion.
In October, I attended the International Risk Management Institute's annual Construction Risk Conference, a terrific event that draws more than 1,500 leading project owners, general contractors, subcontractors, developers, insurers and agents and brokers. Inside the Orlando World Marriott in Florida, attendees were treated to valuable panels offering powerful insights into the issues that affect the construction industry, including worker safety.
While covering the event for a “content hub” on PropertyCasualty360.com, my colleague Caterina Pontoriero and I had the pleasure of sitting down for a post-panel chat with IRMI founder and Chairman Bill McIntyre, who also serves as chairman of American Contractors Insurance Group Inc. McIntyre was deeply involved in risk mitigation around construction long before the term “risk management” entered the insurance vernacular, and knows more than a thing or two about caring for the well-being of construction workers.
While progress has been made in reducing losses, McIntyre said, the rate of serious injuries and fatalities remains high, with more than 1,000 workers killed on job sites in the U.S. each year — with smaller contractors and subcontractors accounting for four times more deaths than larger ones do.
Yet those statistics, stark as they are, weren't even what really shocked me. It was the fact that the suicide rate among construction workers is a lot higher than you might think.
In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a first-of-its kind study that separated suicide rates by industry. The CDC examined 2012 data of 12,312 suicides reported in 17 states and found that the industry with the highest suicide rate was farming/fishing/forestry (84.5 out of 100,000 workers), followed by construction/extraction (53.3 out of 100,000 workers). By pure numbers, however, construction/extraction topped the list with 1,324 suicides.
That 53.3 suicide rate for the construction industry was more than four times the overall U.S. suicide rate of 12.54 in 2012, and remains that high today. Ponder that for a second.
It's a silent epidemic that gets little attention outside of the construction industry — and even within it, a topic that still sees little discussion among a demographic not exactly known for wearing its heart on its manly sleeve. Construction, McIntyre explained, is a stressful industry, with much at stake on every site; for financial reasons getting the job done on time is always critical, and workers are often pushed to their physical and emotional breaking points.
Many workers on sites far from home haven't seen their families in months, and job security is a constant worry. Working long and sometimes abnormal hours can affect sleep, causing mental and physical exhaustion. Self-medication through alcohol and substance abuse are common in this industry, especially among those who have suffered minor injuries that continue to plague them with nagging pain they're desperate to keep at bay.
I'll be honest here: Personally, I believe that most people have thought of taking their own life at least once, at one time or another. Emotionally dark times can often lead to desperate thinking and irrational decisions fueled by hopelessness. It's only when you stare into that abyss that you realize suicide isn't really a better alternative.
Do I obsess over that? No, and for that, I count myself as very fortunate. But there are many, many people who do, and my point is, they aren't alone.
Removing the stigma around psychotherapy by discussing it openly, and caring for your own mental health are the first steps to addressing this issue.
If you've thought more than once about suicide or ever need someone just to listen for a few minutes, talk about it. With a friend. With someone you care about. Or if you'd rather keep it confidential but want to talk anyway, call 800-273-8255 and you will be lent a very valuable ear.
In the meantime, for those who have a friend or loved one who struggles with depression or could benefit from professional help, it's worth remembering that compassion is always the most powerful weapon you can wield. Use it.
Shawn Moynihan is editor-in-chief of National Underwriter Property & Casualty. Email him at [email protected].
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Shawn Moynihan
Shawn Moynihan is Editor-in-Chief of National Underwriter Property & Casualty. A St. John’s University alum, Moynihan has earned 11 Jesse H. Neal Awards, the Pulitzers of the business press; seven Azbee Awards, from the American Society of Business Press Editors; two Folio Awards; and a SABEW award, from the Society of American Business Editors & Writers. Prior to joining ALM, he served as Managing Editor/Online Editor of journalism institution Editor & Publisher, the trade bible of the newspaper industry. Moynihan also has held editorial positions with AOL, Metro New York, and Newhouse Newspapers. He can be reached at [email protected].
