In our continued efforts to cover the Property & Casualtyindustry, my editorial staff and I adhere to a simple principlethat informs all our storytelling: Insurance can be consideredboring, but the things that you insure are not. Thereinlies the real story — the human angle. That path often takes you toplaces you didn't expect, and occasionally leads to topics thatbear a lot more discussion.

In October, I attended the International Risk Management Institute'sannual Construction Risk Conference, a terrific eventthat draws more than 1,500 leading project owners, generalcontractors, subcontractors, developers, insurers and agents andbrokers. Inside the Orlando World Marriott in Florida, attendeeswere treated to valuable panels offering powerful insights into theissues that affect the construction industry, including workersafety.

While covering the event for a “content hub” onPropertyCasualty360.com, my colleague Caterina Pontoriero and I hadthe pleasure of sitting down for a post-panel chat with IRMIfounder and Chairman Bill McIntyre, who also serves as chairman ofAmerican Contractors Insurance Group Inc. McIntyre was deeplyinvolved in risk mitigation around construction long before theterm “risk management” entered the insurance vernacular, and knowsmore than a thing or two about caring for the well-being ofconstruction workers.

While progress has been made in reducing losses, McIntyre said,the rate of serious injuries and fatalities remains high, with morethan 1,000 workers killed on job sites in the U.S. each year — withsmaller contractors and subcontractors accounting for fourtimes more deaths than larger ones do.

Yet those statistics, stark as they are, weren't even whatreally shocked me. It was the fact that the suicide rate amongconstruction workers is a lot higher than you mightthink.

In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releaseda first-of-its kind study that separated suiciderates by industry. The CDC examined 2012 data of 12,312suicides reported in 17 states and found that the industry with thehighest suicide rate was farming/fishing/forestry (84.5 out of100,000 workers), followed by construction/extraction (53.3 out of100,000 workers). By pure numbers, however, construction/extractiontopped the list with 1,324 suicides.

That 53.3 suicide rate for the construction industry was morethan four times the overall U.S. suicide rate of 12.54 in 2012, andremains that high today. Ponder that for a second.

It's a silent epidemic that gets little attentionoutside of the construction industry — and even within it, a topicthat still sees little discussion among a demographic not exactlyknown for wearing its heart on its manly sleeve. Construction,McIntyre explained, is a stressful industry, with much at stake onevery site; for financial reasons getting the job done on time isalways critical, and workers are often pushed to their physical andemotional breaking points.

Many workers on sites far from home haven't seen their familiesin months, and job security is a constant worry. Working long andsometimes abnormal hours can affect sleep, causing mental andphysical exhaustion. Self-medication through alcohol and substanceabuse are common in this industry, especially among those who havesuffered minor injuries that continue to plague them with naggingpain they're desperate to keep at bay.

I'll be honest here: Personally, I believe that most people havethought of taking their own life at least once, at one time oranother. Emotionally dark times can often lead to desperatethinking and irrational decisions fueled by hopelessness. It's onlywhen you stare into that abyss that you realize suicide isn'treally a better alternative.

Do I obsess over that? No, and for that, I count myself as veryfortunate. But there are many, many people who do, and my point is,they aren't alone.

Removing the stigma around psychotherapy by discussing itopenly, and caring for your own mental health are the first stepsto addressing this issue.

If you've thought more than once about suicide or ever needsomeone just to listen for a few minutes, talk about it. With afriend. With someone you care about. Or if you'd ratherkeep it confidential but want to talk anyway, call 800-273-8255and you will be lent a very valuable ear.

In the meantime, for those who have a friend or loved one whostruggles with depression or could benefit from professional help,it's worth remembering that compassion is always the most powerfulweapon you can wield. Use it.

Shawn Moynihan is editor-in-chief of National UnderwriterProperty & Casualty. Email him at [email protected].