From Awareness to Action: Suicide Prevention at CRH Canada
CRH Canada
Right people, right place, the right time | Bonnes personnes, au bon endroit, au bon moment
For over 100 years CRH Canada has been dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and quality service for our valued customers, and while our operations are constantly progressing, one key value has remained… prioritizing the safety of our people and the communities that we serve.
With the increase in mental health struggles post-pandemic and research finding that the Construction Industry is in the top three in North America for suicide rates amongst men, our Occupational Health and Safety Team recognized the need for a Psychologically Safe Workplace.
Raising awareness and breaking down the negative biases that surround mental health is what fed the team’s ambition to continue to push the message that “It’s OK to need help”. With the introduction of CRH Canada’s Wellness Journey in 2022, the team launched various mental health focused initiatives, tools, and resources through company-wide communications. However, Shannon Truax-Wardell, CRSP , Vice President, Safety & Health – East Operations, CRH America’s Materials, didn’t want to stop there. It was important to her and her team that their efforts reached beyond the bounds of organization, when they approached management with ‘A concrete way to prevent suicide’ by branding our company vehicles with the Talk Suicide Canada crisis hotline number.
First introduced through our businesses in Ontario, with our businesses in Quebec following shortly after – there is now a total of 17 company vehicles driving on the roads across the country spreading the message to the greater public.?
Since the implementation of this campaign, the question of whether they were making a true impact remained, but not for long… Soon after the launch, the team received an appreciative message from a member of the Toronto Police Service for the companies efforts towards suicide prevention, but what meant the most to Shannon was hearing a sad, but truly heartwarming testament from a local resident after they spotted a Dufferin Concrete truck that was completing a job outside of their apartment building. With much appreciation, they explained how much seeing the message on the truck meant to them and their family who are currently going through a tough time.?
领英推荐
As one of the largest vertically integrated materials and construction companies within Canada, we have a responsibility to utilize our platform to raise awareness and normalize conversations surrounding mental health and suicide prevention – which wouldn’t be possible without the incredible efforts of our employees.
______________________________________________________________________________________
If you or someone you know is currently struggling or in crisis, we urge you to contact the resources provided below and remember that it’s ok to need help.
Talk Suicide Canada (24/7 Help is available): Call 1(888) 456-4566 or Text: 45645
Hope for Wellness: For culturally competent counseling available 24/7 to all?Indigenous people across Canada call Hope for Wellness at 1-855-242-3310 or chat with them online:?https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/
Semi Retired at None
1 年According to psychologist, psychotherapist and author Tom Falkenstein (The Highly Sensitive Man, 2019, Ch.1),?“numerous psychological studies over the last forty years tell us that, despite huge social change, the stereotypical image of the ‘strong man’ is still firmly with us at all ages, in all ethnic groups, and among all socio-economic backgrounds. … “In the face of problems, men tend not to seek out emotional or professional help from other people. They use, more often than women, alcohol or drugs to numb unpleasant feelings and, in crises, tend to try to deal with things on their own, instead of searching out closeness or help from others. … “While it is true that a higher percentage of women than men will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or a depressive episode, the suicide rate among men is much higher. In the United States, the suicide rate is notably higher in men than in women. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men account for 77 percent of the forty-five thousand people who kill themselves every year in the United States." ....
Aircraft Deicing Specialist at Greater Toronto Airports Authority
1 年Nice of DRM Concrete to help give attention to suicide rates in men. It's a big one. May you all RIP brothers. Concrete forms carpenter here.