Chief executives from Bechtel, Fluor, Turner Construction Company, North America’s Building Trades Unions, Kiewit, Clark Construction, DPR Construction, Skanska and Stanley Black & Decker, which includes DEWALT in its portfolio of brands, have joined together as founding members of a new CEO Advisory Council. This council will guide an industry-wide effort to develop solutions targeting the high rate of suicide among construction workers.
Leaders participating on the council will bring vital expertise and support to an initiative launched earlier this year by Bechtel. Backed by the largest financial pledge in history to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the initiative aims to develop new research-based programmes and resources specifically tailored to the construction industry. To start, the effort, led by a newly established Construction Initiatives team within AFSP, seeks to reach 500,000 US construction workers over the next five years through industry-specific programmes and resources aiming to increase awareness of mental health aid and suicide prevention.
Today, the establishment of the CEO Advisory Council signifies a strong commitment to bringing stakeholders together and maximising the collective efforts of its members.
Brendan Bechtel, Bechtel Chairman and CEO, said: “Just like with worksite safety, nothing is proprietary when it comes to saving lives. My fellow industry leaders share this belief and by joining this council, they’ve shown that they are committed to working together to find solutions. I’m deeply grateful for their participation as founding partners. The more we can engage a broad group of leaders and collaborate on solutions, the more effective we will be in providing our people the support they need. We owe it to them, to our colleagues, and to their families to find solutions and prevent these tragedies.”
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