By Rick Murray, President and CEO, Arizona Chapter National Safety Council.
Every summer, employers across the Southwest are challenged with how to protect their workers from extreme heat. And with good reason: heat stress is deadly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2011 and 2022, nearly 500 U.S. workers died from environmental heat exposure, and thousands more suffered serious illnesses that kept them away from work.
But what about the workplace hazard we can’t always see?
Mental health challenges are just as much a safety concern as physical heat stress. In fact, they claim far more lives. Across the country, more than 5,000 construction workers die by suicide each year — five times the number who die from job-related injuries. Miners, transportation workers, and protective service employees face similar risks. And nearly a fifth of workers in the construction and mining industries have a substance use disorder, double the rate among all U.S. workers.
The Hidden Costs of Mental Distress
Employers understand the costs of heat-related illness: medical bills, lost work time, and (in the worst cases) the devastating impact of a preventable death. Mental health carries similar costs, though they’re often harder to measure. The National Safety Council, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, created the Mental Health Cost Calculator for Employers to make those costs visible. The data shows businesses spend on average over $15,000 each year on employees experiencing mental distress.
That investment pays off. Research shows that for every $1 spent on mental health treatment, employers see a return of $4 in improved health and productivity. Prioritizing mental health isn’t just the right thing to do for your employees — it’s smart business.
The Role Employers Play
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and OSHA now recognizes Construction Suicide Prevention Week every September, shining a spotlight on an industry hit especially hard. These awareness efforts matter, but it’s not enough. Employers have a role to play in protecting workers’ mental health, just as they do their physical safety.
That responsibility goes beyond offering an Employee Assistance Program. It means creating a culture where talking about mental health is safe, where policies are clear, and where supervisors and managers are trained to recognize warning signs. It means recognizing that stress, depression, and substance use can affect safety just as much as the temperature. Most importantly, it requires leadership that treats mental wellbeing as a core part of safety.
Even with resources in place, many workers don’t speak up. In industries like construction, mining, and transportation, stigma runs deep. Too many believe asking for help shows weakness. Others may believe they will be ostracized by coworkers or excluded from the industry.
That’s why culture change is crucial. Workers need to know that their safety — physical and mental — matters, and that employers see supporting mental health as no different than issuing heat safety training or requiring PPE.
Steps Employers Can Take – Right Now
The National Safety Council (NSC) offers practical recommendations for addressing mental distress in the workplace for the whole organization, including leadership, human resources, supervisors and managers, safety professionals, and of course, employees themselves.
- Acknowledge the impact of work conditions. Long shifts, job insecurity, and high stress all affect mental health. Recognizing these risks is the first step.
- Train leaders and supervisors. Make sure those closest to employees can spot signs of distress and connect workers to help.
- Strengthen HR policies. Compassionate, straightforward procedures can prevent small struggles from becoming crises.
- Educate employees. Regular conversations and training help normalize mental health and ensure everyone knows what resources are available.
Mental health isn’t separate from workplace safety — it is workplace safety. When employers take it as seriously as any physical risk – like heat-related illnesses – they not only save lives, but they also build stronger, healthier, and more resilient workplaces for everyone.
Check out additional recommendations for employers, including NSC partners’ resources and solutions on addressing employee mental health and distress. Mental Health America offers several mental health resources for the workplace, including screening tools, research reports and toolkits. See a full list of these resources here.
And for those who may be struggling today: Call the Suicide and Crisis hotline at 988.