Anthony LaFaziaCEO, Atlantic Training · CEO at Atlantic Training | EdTech & Safety Compliance Leader

How to Show Up for a Crew Member Who's Struggling

14 Sept 2026 · 2 min

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1:32

In this brief safety PSA, speaker Anthony LaFazia highlights that construction workers die by suicide at a rate more than five times higher than on‑the‑job fatalities. He frames suicide as a hidden hazard that complements the industry’s traditional “Fatal Four” risks. The talk explains how any crew member can intervene without being a mental‑health professional: watch for behavioral changes such as withdrawal, increased mistakes, anger, or hopelessness; approach the person privately and ask directly if they are thinking about suicide; listen without judgment; offer help and ensure follow‑up. He also dispels the myth that asking about suicide encourages it, emphasizing that asking can be life‑saving. The core message is that safety on a construction site begins with open, supportive conversation.

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Hey guys, you know, here's one of those things that you resist believing because you really don't want to. More than 5 times as many construction workers die by suicide as die in incidents on the job. We spend a lot of time talking about the fatal 4, right? Falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and then the caught-in or between hazards. But sometimes the biggest risk is something that a person's carrying that Really, nobody else can see. And that's what Construction Suicide Prevention Week's all about. Now, you don't have to be a counselor to make a difference. You just have to notice when something changes. Maybe somebody's pulling away from the crew. They're making more mistakes. They've gone quiet, right? Or maybe they're just getting angry all the time. Or they might just sound hopeless. You can ask them privately, you know, you haven't seemed like yourself lately. What's going on? And if what you hear worries you, ask the real question. Are you thinking about suicide? The big myth is that asking makes it worse. But I'm going to tell you, the fact is, it might actually be what prevents them from taking that step in the first place. Notice, ask, listen, help, and then follow up. Sometimes safety starts with a conversation.