WITH THE HIGHEST SUICIDE RATE AND NUMBER OF DEATHS BY SUICIDE – in fact, more deaths by suicide per year than all of OSHA’s Fatal Four Hazards combined – the construction industry must continue its suicide prevention efforts.

Despite a company’s best efforts to address suicide prevention, learning that an employee, family member, subcontractor, supplier, or professional business partner has experienced a death by suicide is devastating. Part of suicide prevention is to address how to handle the aftermath of a suicide loss, which is known as suicide postvention.

This article will share perspectives, strategies, resources, and tools to help contractors respond appropriately if the unthinkable should happen.

What Is Suicide Postvention? The Suicide Prevention Resource Center defines postvention as the provision of crisis intervention and other support after a suicide has occurred to address and alleviate possible effects of suicide. Effective postvention has been found to stabilize the community and facilitate the return to a new normal.