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Toolbox Talks

Ask your partner if they are okay

Ask your partner if they are okay

Mental health 5 min

Need help now? Call or text 988. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Why it matters

Construction work has a higher rate of suicide than many other jobs. You will not always get a big speech first. A partner may pull away, give tools away, or go quiet after a long bad stretch. Ask a plain question. If someone is in danger now, call 911. If not, call or text 988.

The talk

Construction work has a higher rate of suicide than many other jobs. That is a hard sentence, and it belongs in this huddle. It does not mean you diagnose anybody. It means you notice a change, the way you would notice a missing guard. The warning signs stay simple. A person pulls away from the crew. They say they are a burden. They give away tools. They seem suddenly calm after a long bad stretch. They talk about not being here. One of those is enough reason to ask. You do not wait until you have proof that would satisfy a stranger.

Ask in plain words. Are you okay? Do you want to talk? Then listen. You do not have to fix it yourself. You are not the counselor. You are the person who stayed. Do not joke it off. Do not tell them to toughen up. Do not promise you will keep a secret if they might be in danger. If they might act soon, or they are in danger now, call 911. Otherwise call or text 988. You can call while you stand next to them. You can hand them the phone. Stay with them while help is called, if it is safe for you to stay.

Pick a quieter spot if you can. Do not shout it across the deck. If they say they are fine and you still think something is wrong, you can check again later the same day. You can tell the foreman you are worried. That is not gossip. That is looking out for a person. If they start to talk, let them talk. You do not need a perfect speech. You need to stay, and you need to get help when help is due. Danger now is 911. Heavy, but not danger this minute, is 988, call or text, any time. The work can wait. A person cannot be replaced.

Key points

  1. Construction work has a higher rate of suicide than many other jobs.
  2. Watch for pulling away, saying they are a burden, giving tools away, a sudden calm, or talk about not being here.
  3. Ask a plain question: Are you okay? Do you want to talk?
  4. You do not have to fix it yourself.
  5. If someone might act soon or is in danger now, call 911.
  6. Otherwise call or text 988.
  7. Stay with them while help is called, if it is safe.

Do this

  • Ask if they are okay and if they want to talk.
  • Listen without joking it off or telling them to toughen up.
  • Call 911 if they might act soon or are in danger now.
  • Call or text 988 when they need help and are not in danger this minute.
  • Stay with them while help is called if it is safe to stay.

Do not do this

  • Do not wait for proof before you ask a plain question.
  • Do not try to fix it all by yourself.
  • Do not promise to keep a secret if the person may be in danger.
  • Do not leave them alone while help is on the way, if it is safe to stay.
  • Do not treat a sudden calm after a long bad stretch as proof the problem is gone.

Talk about it

  1. What change in a coworker would make you ask if they are okay?
  2. If someone might act soon, which number do we call, and who stays with them?
  3. If they are hurting but not in danger this minute, how do we reach 988?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

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