Everyone is responsible for job safety, and on construction sites, safety policies are driven by data to reduce incidents. A mental health issue may not always be as easy to spot as a physical health issue, but it's just as important. Construction workers experience the second-highest rate of suicide and the highest rate of overdose deaths of any U.S. industry.

Hard Hat Courage was developed to address the rates of suicide within the industry and prioritize mental health alongside physical safety. Every life matters, and every conversation counts.

Bring Hard Hat Courage programs and resources to your jobsite or office, and integrate mental health into your safety plans, training, and conversations.

Safety professionals play a key role in making mental health part of jobsite safety. Hard Hat Courage offers practical resources to support suicide prevention awareness, encourage early conversations, and connect workers with help when needed. Incorporate the tools below in safety meetings, trainings, and ongoing jobsite communications.

• Toolbox Talks: Short, practical conversations that safety professionals can use in safety meetings, orientations, or jobsite check-ins to bring mental health and suicide prevention into everyday safety culture. All Hard Hat Courage Toolbox Talks are available in English and Spanish.

• Building a Critical Incident Response Plan: Be ready to respond if a worker may be in crisis. Download this construction-specific guide for clear, practical steps that safety professionals can use to prepare teams, respond to suicidal thoughts or risk of self-harm, and connect workers to support when needed.

• Jobsite Posters and Stickers: Make mental health safety visible on every jobsite. Equip your crews with clear, consistent messaging that reinforces that support is available. You can print 988 stickers through your preferred vendor and distribute them directly to your teams, so the message travels with them each day. In addition, place posters in high-traffic areas to strengthen awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Sticker and poster files are available now to help create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone on site.

• Talk Saves Lives: Construction: Bring life-saving awareness to your workforce. Connect with us by emailing [email protected] to learn how Talk Saves Lives: Construction can equip your teams with the knowledge and confidence to recognize warning signs and take action. Our team can deliver the program or train your team to lead it. Together, we can help you build a safer, more supportive jobsite.

• Listen. Engage. Act. Direct. (LEAD) program: Prepare your leaders to take meaningful action when it matters most. Connect with us by emailing [email protected] to bring LEAD training to your workforce. LEAD is a two-hour, interactive workshop that uses real-world scenarios and practical, step-by-step guidance to build skills in recognizing warning signs, starting conversations, and responding in moments of crisis.

If you experience a suicide in your company, your team will look to leadership for guidance on what to do. Hard Hat Courage offers resources for after a suicide to help you support your crew through grief, stabilize the work environment, and reduce the risk of further harm. Safety professionals carry their own weight in these moments too — and support is available for you as well as for the people in your care.

• After a Suicide Toolkit: This toolkit is designed to help you take action now by putting key practices, roles, and protocols in place before a crisis happens, while also providing clear, practical guidance to follow in the immediate aftermath of a suicide. It equips construction safety leaders to support grieving teams, navigate complex stakeholder communication, and respond with clarity and confidence when it matters most.

• Caring Communities: Guidance for Supporting Survivors of Suicide Loss: This program is a one-hour presentation, offered in person or virtually, that provides practical strategies to support loss survivors. Participants gain a clear understanding of suicide as a complex health issue, its impact on survivors, and concrete ways to offer meaningful support across workplace settings. The program also connects people to trusted resources that can extend care beyond the immediate response.

  Bring Caring Communities to your organization by emailing [email protected] to strengthen your ability to support your team when they need it most and to foster a more compassionate, resilient workplace culture.

• Healing Conversations: Personal Support for Survivors of Suicide Loss: When suicide impacts an individual, many people may find it helpful to connect with someone who has also experienced a similar loss. The Healing Conversations program is designed to provide that support. Safety professionals should be aware of this resource and share it as needed.