LANSING, MI A recent report from the Center for Disease Control found that construction has the second-highest suicide rate out of any industry. The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Michigan hosted its 26th Annual Construction Safety Training Day in Lansing, Michigan, to address this alarming statistic and open the conversation about suicide in construction workers.

"Workplaces that adhere to a strong safety culture set a goal of zero work-related fatalities," said David Opalewski, Fixed-Term Faculty with the Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development at Central Michigan University. "Suicide is no exception. We're here to help change the perceptions and equip people to have open and honest conversations about mental health and suicide. We want them to know it's ok to ask for help. Depression is a medical condition not a character flaw. We've got to defeat that myth."

In addition to the keynote speech about the suicide rate in the construction industry, the Safety Training Day also included workshops on other construction safety topics including an overview of workplace fatalities and their causes, fall protection, traffic control and building a safety culture.

"The AGC of Michigan and its members have a strong reputation of skill, integrity and responsibility," said Damian Hill, President of AGC of Michigan. "We put safety first, which is why our contractors are the first choice when it comes to delivering construction jobs on time and with zero to low workplace injuries."

The Construction Safety Training Day follows the AGC of Michigan's Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, where 50 commercial construction organizations received Outstanding Safety Achievement Awards in recognition of their commitment to employee and workplace safety. Award recipients included Walbridge in Detroit, Granger Construction Company in Lansing, Michigan, and Alfredson Brothers Construction in Menominee, Michigan.