Deaths by overdose and suicide in the construction industry have fallen, but more must be done to better support workers, according to a February 2026 report by North America’s Building Trades Unions and The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Among construction workers aged 16 to 64, drug-related overdose deaths declined 28.8% from 2023 to 2024, decreasing from 15,900 to 11,300.

“Over 11,000 workers in our industry dying in a year from overdose is still much too high, but the reduction marks meaningful progress,” according to the report.

The two groups attribute the decline to a number of actions, including many the construction industry has taken: 

• Education on risks of prescribed opioids and opioids in general
• Fewer opioid prescriptions between 2019 and 2023
• Widespread availability of naloxone on job sites and in public
• Decreased stigma around substance use and mental health disorders
• Improved treatment and recovery support in the construction industry

Meanwhile, deaths by suicide dropped 1.7% from 2023 to 2024, decreasing from 5,100 to 5,000. The two groups are encouraged by this progress, but the industry’s efforts must continue.

“To make even more substantial reductions in overdose and suicide deaths, the essential actions our industry is already taking must be accompanied by more upstream efforts like reduction of injuries causing pain, increased availability of paid leave, anti-bullying training and policies, and safety culture,” according to the report. “They can all weave a tapestry of interventions that will lead to continued decreases in these preventable deaths.”

The Center for Construction Research and Training offers a free resource, CPWR Toolbox Talks, to help contractors and their employees better identify and respond to warning signs of a coworker’s potential suicide, as well as how to start a supportive conversation, ask helpful questions and connect someone to the right resources. Another organization, Hard Hat Courage, provides toolbox talks about mental health as well.

The report also included the details of a systematic review of two decades of mental health studies by RMIT University researchers published last year in Workplace Health & Safety. The researchers found that, while physical dangers on job sites are widely recognized, psychological hazards have been significantly overlooked across the industry, including:

• Job insecurity, due to the project‑based nature of construction work
• Long and irregular working hours, often leading to poor work‑life balance
• High job demands and time pressure, which elevate stress levels
• Workplace bullying and poor supervisor support
• Substance use, especially heavy alcohol consumption, which is more prevalent in construction than in most other industries

The authors call for a coordinated industry response, recommending improvements in supportive supervision, mental health training, workplace culture and psychological safety practices.