What are construction workers' biggest fears?

When you think of the biggest fear that plagues construction workers, the first thing that comes to mind is that they must worry a great deal about their safety and physical well-being on the job. But you might be surprised to know that while that is definitely a concern, most construction workers today are more worried about other things. In this blog post, we are going to explore the biggest fears of construction workers today, and why those fears are so persistent.

Are Construction Workers Worried About Their Safety and Physical Well-Being?

The construction industry is inherently dangerous, simply because of the nature of the job. There are lots of moving parts involved in construction work, so of course, construction workers are concerned about their safety and physical well-being while they are on the job. But this concern is not the most pressing one that today’s construction workers have, mostly because other worries have eclipsed the idea that they might get hurt on the job. Additionally, there are many training and safety protocols in place to prevent construction workers from coming physically injured while they are at the job site.

Are Construction Workers Stressed Out or Overworked?

The answer to this question is probably not surprising if you are in the construction industry: 47% of construction workers surveyed recently said they are currently stressed on the job. When asked what the cause of their stress was, half of the construction workers surveyed said that they were having difficulty recruiting new employees to help with day-to-day activities. About one in four construction workers surveyed said that they believed they were not getting paid enough for their work. These issues translate to stress at home as well, with sixteen percent of those surveyed saying that they are having a hard time engaging with friends and family outside of work.

A large uptick in remote work and flexible hours in white-collar industries is thought to be partially to blame for the downturn in recruitment to the construction industry. While much of construction work comes with some of the same benefits found in the white-collar sector, the majority of the construction industry cannot compete with the ability to work from home or work flexible hours. For this reason, some construction workers are deciding that the toll on their mental health simply is not worth continuing on the job.

Is Poor Mental Health Dangerous To Construction Workers?

Did you know that more construction workers die from suicide each year than every other workplace-related fatality combined? That is a truly startling statistic, but it is not entirely surprising given the amount of stress construction workers are under. The construction industry also has the highest suicide rate of any profession. But why?

Well, most individuals that struggle with mental health issues do not seek the help they need or inform friends and family of their pain. The world of construction is dominated by men, and mental health discussions are extremely rare. There is an outdated mindset around mental well-being that is inherently dangerous to construction workers; in a profession that is so vulnerable to burnout, it is important to shake the stigma.

Do Construction Workers Struggle With Pain or Stress From Injuries?

In addition to stress from their job duties and mental health issues, construction workers will often struggle with chronic pain and stress brought on by injuries. Not only that, but these afflicted workers often do not seek help, which puts them at risk for more injuries. There is a high prevalence in particular of musculoskeletal pain among construction workers, with one study determining that 40% of construction workers over age fifty have chronic back pain.

Another study suggests that construction workers who have previously been injured on the job are 45% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who have not been injured. Once this mental distress due to injury has been inflicted, a worker will often have trouble concentrating or experience memory issues. Due to this distraction, it is all too easy for them to pay less attention to safety practices which can lead to accidents or injuries.

How Can the Fears of Construction Workers Be Remedied?

The conclusion that all of the studies cited in this blog post reached is that there needs to be an open dialogue between construction workers, their supervisors, and mental health professionals. The stigma that surrounds mental illness is especially prevalent in the construction industry, and without these conversations and the proper treatments, construction workers are putting their lives at risk. Not only that, they are risking endangering their fellow workers if they cannot perform at their absolute best while they are on the job.

It is up to the supervisors and owners of construction businesses to provide a safe environment for construction workers to voice their concerns and fears. It is also important that construction workers are honest about how they are feeling, both physically and mentally. The dialogue that must happen is a two-way street, but it is more critical now than ever that something changes within the industry at large.