Every 12 minutes, a person working in construction dies, not as a result of an accident on the job, but by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This isn’t something that centered in New York City or Buffalo,” said Bridget O’Hanlon of the state’s Office of General Services’ Division of Design and Construction. “It’s something that’s across the state and country.”

Some are calling it an epidemic, with the CDC reporting the suicide rate among men working in the field is about four times high than the general public.

Experts say there are a number of contributing factors.

“Some of these guys, they’re the big macho guys. Nothing really bothers them,” O’Hanlon said. “They’re away from home a lot of the time.”

In New York, there were more than 39 suicides per 100,000 construction workers in 2020, according to the state’s Office of Mental Health, second only agriculture and mining.

“When you kind of dig into it, it’s out there,” O’Hanlon said. “And it's prevalent.”

The alarming trend peaked the interest of the state office.

“It was a bit of a challenge to us,” she said. “What do we do to help?”

The agency hosted a Construction and Mental Health Seminar Wednesday in Albany.

“You have the ability to impact change and save a life,” said Associated General Contractors of Missouri President Brandon Anderson.

Attendees heard from Anderson, who is trying to break down the stigma that often clouds suicide, changing the way mental health is discussed among people working in construction.

“I would ask those that are not aware to be open-minded to it, and to educate yourself and look into it,” he said.

Having grown up involved in his family-owned construction company and making two attempts on his life, one as a teenager and again less than a decade ago, Anderson is well versed on the topic.

“It’s all about spreading hope through action. We can’t just check a box and have a toolbox talk or have a speaker come in one time,” he said. “It’s going to take more than that, and there are plenty of resources out there.”

Things state leaders in construction are committed raising awareness of with more seminars.

“We’re hoping to continue our partnership with Office of Mental Health, Associated General Contractors to bring these hopefully across the state,” O’Hanlon said. “That’s where we’d like to end up.”