Alliance on Workplace Mental Health, Suicide Prevention Signed by OSHA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The alliance was signed during Construction Suicide Prevention Week.
- By Alex Saurman
- Sep 09, 2022
This week, OSHA and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) are officially joining efforts to increase awareness on suicide prevention and mental health in the workplace.
OSHA and AFSP signed a two-year alliance on September 7, 2022, during Construction Suicide Prevention Week. According to a news release, the agency and organization will work together on “information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness.”
As part of the alliance, AFSP will look to add information and update two OSHA initiatives: the Safety and Health Management System and the Preventing Suicides webpage. AFSP will also play a role in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Construction Suicide Prevention Week, “sharing information,” the news release said.
The Northeastern Division of AFSP previously signed an alliance with OSHA. According to OSHA, efforts include providing “information and training resources to raise awareness of well-being and mental health issues related to occupational deaths by suicide” and collaborating on OSHA’s Suicide Prevention: 5 Things You Should Know poster.
In 2020, 259 workers took their own lives, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Suicide is a leading cause of death among working age adults in the United States. It deeply impacts workers, families, and communities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker in the news release. "OSHA is proud to join with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to eliminate barriers to getting help and promote the mental wellbeing of all workers."
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.