GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Crews with Miron Construction took a break from work Monday to focus on mental health.
More than 50 members and subcontractors of the Neenah-based construction company gathered at UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Technology and Education Center project site for a moment of silence, and to talk about what it means to be tough.
Miron is redefining tough as an acronym to stand for:
- T — Talk it Out
- O — Outside Activity
- U — Unplug
- G — Give Back
- H — Hang Out with Family and Friends
Monday's stand-down marks Suicide Prevention Week in the construction industry, part of Suicide Prevention Month.
"Most of the construction force is male-oriented," site superintendent Greg Lex said. "Males are very stubborn. They don't want to face the fact that they're struggling. So, I think the new definition of tough really helps that out."
Lex says construction workers spend most of their day at work, resulting in less time spent with family.
"You're drug out by the time you get home," Lex said. "You want to eat and go to bed right away, and not be able to talk to your family and get the love that you need from them."
"And then you throw injury on top of that. That altogether just makes for a perfect storm," Miron Construction wellness coordinator Meredith Baciak said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates among all occupations. A 2021 study found every 56 per 100,000 men in the construction industry died by suicide.
For more on Miron Construction's mental health efforts, click here.
