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< PreviousWRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL A ccording to recent studies, twelve of the 25 most dangerous jobs across North America are in the construction industry. The use of high-powered tools and falling debris coupled with the very real risk of injury or death while using forklifts, trucks and demolition equipment leaves our workers in a very precarious situation. Among the sectors con- sidered the most dangerous are roofers, ironworkers, crane operators and mining machine operators. | 10 JULY 2022However, the statistics remain stark. Accord- ing to OSHA, 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019. To put that in context, every day that year around fifteen families received the worst news imaginable with many of them feeling that this could have been entirely preventable. It would be unfair to direct blame at those leading these sectors, however. Despite the figures being higher than anyone would like, improvements have been made. This figure of fifteen deaths per day has, in fact, decreased from around 38 deaths per day in 1970. It is evident across the industry that safety concerns are being addressed on a much wider scale than at any stage in history and long may this continue. | 11 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONThere is, however, another statistic that is cause for huge concern in the industry. According to data collected by the CDC in 2020, men working in the construction industry have one of the highest rates of suicide compared to other industries. Even in the context of dangerous profession, the figures behind this research are shocking. With a rate of almost 50 such deaths per 100,000 workers, the industry is twice the rate of civilian working men and a staggering four times higher than the general population. This paints quite an undeniable picture. The question is, what is the cause of this and can it be prevented. Despite the shift towards a healthier work-life balance, work still defines us as individuals and as communities. It seems as though an inherent human trait is to identify by what you contribute to society as a whole; in other words, what you do is who you are. This link, unfortunately, creates a difficult and unsustainable model. According to the CDC, “Work can define a person’s identity and psychological risk factors such as depression and stress, can be affected by the workplace. Job strain and long work hours may be important occupa- tional risk factors in working populations.” With this in mind, high intensity and the pressures of working in the construc- tion industry can be a perfect storm in terms of workers wellbeing and mental health. Mitigating factors to this risk are thought to be an increase in job control for workers and a 40-hour week maximum. However, time and budget con- straints, coupled with the need to earn overtime and bonus related payments can be genuine barriers to these factors becoming a reality. While it is likely that work related stressors are contributing to the unnaturally high rate of poor mental health and the overall low level of wellbeing in the construction industry, it cannot be the only factor. To this end, the CDC has formed a task force in order to continue its research into the prob- lem. Members of the task force are industry partners, unions, and educators with a role to identify and raise awareness of the types of stress that can push construction employees into a higher risk category. According to Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Jim Frederick. “Work-related stress can have severe impacts on mental health and without proper support may lead to substance abuse and even suicide.” Of these stressors, Frederick identi- fies a number of key elements that need to be improved on. “Workers in construction face many work-related stressors that may increase their risk factors for suicide, such as the uncertainty of seasonal work, demanding schedules and workplace injuries that are sometimes treated with opioids.” When we take a critical eye to the stresses linked to the construction industry, it seems as though we may be heading towards a large-scale wellbeing catastrophe. Further studies show that the main risk factors for poor mental health in construction are a high-pressure working environment, work in remote locations, opioid dependency and a ‘tough-guy’ mentality. When analyzing these findings, it is the final factor that jars the most. Amanda McGough, Ph.D., is a psychologist specializing in wellbeing. According to Dr. McGough, there is a clear need for the stereotypes around construction workers to be removed immediately. As construction is a male-dominated industry with work- ers mainly from low economic and social backgrounds, masculinity can become a barrier to them acknowledging “Every day, new voices are speaking out to highlight the need for better mental health and wellbeing in the construction industry.” | 12 JULY 2022their mental health problems and “many in the field may be afraid of appearing ‘weak’ if they acknowledge a struggle,” says McGough. Despite the concerns and challenges, work is being done to educate and offer tangible, workable supports. Every day, new voices are speaking out to highlight the need for better mental health and wellbeing in the construction industry. Greg Sizemore, Vice President of health, safety, environment, and workforce development at Associated Builders and Con- tractors, said every organization needs to build a culture of openness in dealing with mental health. “The culture must create the conditions that foster openness to speak out and up and must equip and empower all employees with the personal skills they need to feel comfortable speaking up or seeking assistance.” Great strides are being made across the industry in this regard. In comparison to historical figures, diversity and inclusion rates are at an all-time high and huge drives to break stereotypes are ongoing. For example, with Pride Month currently taking place, many companies are highlighting the need to welcome all workers to safe and inclusive jobsites. Bryce Tache, Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Ryan Compa- nies sees the benefit that open and safe workplaces will have on breaking stereotypes and, by extension, creating a culture of openness. “These messages need to come from the top. Silence from leadership is a message – and it’s not the right message.”, says Tache. Tache and fellow leaders at Ryan are not staying silent. He says, “Our CEO wrote a pledge last year that all employees are encouraged to sign. It asks us to each be the person who tells a fellow team member, partner, ven- dor, or client to ‘knock it off’ when we hear course language or offensive jokes, or when we see inappropriate behavior. It encourages each of us do the right thing and set the tone, and to treat each other as family regardless of someone’s gender, race, sexual orientation, age, or anything else.” Along with a shift in culture, construction companies need to include strategic integration, sustained investment, harm reduction, and policy and training implementation to create a 360o approach to help workers total health. Drives take place to create a sense of community in the workplace, to celebrate differences and highlight diversity in all its forms. “Like many workplace fatalities, suicides can be prevented,” said OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Billie Kizer in Kansas City, Mis- souri. “We encourage employers to use all available resources, familiarize themselves with the problem and learn to recog- nize the warning signs of depression. We also urge workers to seek help if they feel overwhelmed or overcome by a loss of hope.” By building support networks, inclusive practices and manageable expectations of workers, companies might well be equipped with a key ingredient in the promotion of positive wellbeing on jobsites throughout North America. | 13 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY EMMA KILCAWLEY-HEMANI T he Long Island Contractors’ Association (LICA) represents the interests of Long Island’s premier heavy construction general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and industry supporters. Their industry is focused primarily on build- ing and maintaining our region’s vital infrastructure: its highways, bridges, and transit systems, as well as utilities, water quality, wastewater systems, and other public works. They carry a sense of pride that many of LICA’s 160-member firms are multi-gener- ational, family-owned businesses located on Long Island, who continue to work and employ neighbors in their communities. Marc Herbst, Executive Director, describes LICA as a “very active unionized community.” While the last few years were particularly difficult for Long Island and New York due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, LICA con- tinued to contribute to the local infrastructure and economy as construction was deemed an essential service in NY State. With little traffic on the road, and fewer people using mass transit, Herbst says, “we went forward and got a lot of improvements done faster.” Herbst went on to say that the decision to cate- gorize construction as an essential service kept LICA mem- bers working at a time they were needed most. | 14 JULY 2022NYS DOT trucks fill up with asphalt at a LICA member-owned asphalt plant. | 15 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNow, LICA has turned its attention to another critical issue; budget negotiations over a new 5-Year New York State Cap- ital Transportation Plan. With a budget due April 1st, LICA is very active in conversations. “Our goal is to ensure the State Legislature and Governor’s office provide adequate infrastruc- ture funding for Long Island and throughout NY State,” said Herbst. While there will continue to be a historic influx of infra- structure funding coming from Washington D.C., Herbst’s job is to ensure that the money is going to the right places. Initially, $4.6 billion was allocated to NY State from Wash- ington for infrastructure investments. However, Herbst is worried only about half of those funds are being allocated towards projects related to infrastructure. “What happened to the other money?” asked Herbst. “We need to make sure that money isn’t being siphoned off for other purposes,” said Herbst. The goal for LICA and its members has a much wider scope than anticipated, however. Contributing positively to its own corner of the country ensures that the collective benefit is felt further afield. The way Herbst sees it, more construction is better for the economy. Not only do these proj- ects have a direct impact on the local workforce, a slightly less tangi- ble, but equally important benefit is felt. It raises the quality of life, fixing bridges and roads, reducing traffic, ensuring better safety. According to Herbst, better infrastructure is also a draw to lure more folks into investing in local communities and building permanent lives. Not to mention, better roads and highways come with increased safety. Sitting on a freeze-thaw line, Long Island roads are constantly “pummeled (by weather) and in terrible condition.” This can lead to dangerous and damaging pot- holes, as well as severe traffic congestion. Despite possible allocation fights, New York has an enor- mous investment opportunity thanks to the historic bi-par- tisan Infrastructure Bill signed by President Joe Biden. This unprecedented level of funding will give a welcome boost to the economy but, crucially, it will create real, living changes to the lives of those living in New York. Not only will New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority benefit, but Herbst is particularly excited about the roads and bridges program. “The current condition of our roads and bridges is dreadful. Congestion levels are high, and this program will help with that,” said Herbst. In addition, needed investment improvements will come to airports, telecommunications, broadband, and more. However, one important issue that Herbst foresees, is the ongoing issue regarding the global supply chain. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has resulted in costs rising exponentially and, when this is paired with | 16 JULY 2022unsustainable supply chain issues, it results in massive chal- lenges for companies across the industry. While these difficul- ties will impact companies in all facets of construction, a big concern for LICA is that the pricing and availability of materials may hamper long-term improvements to infrastructure proj- ects. “We see steel, lumbar and all these other types of mate- rials and aggregates – the prices are going up,” stating that along with the rise in spending, businesses across the country are now dealing with added costs,” says Herbst. Managing the issue of rising costs can be difficult at the best of times; however, when it comes to steel, a perfect storm of supply shortages, pricing and bureaucracy is emerging which results in even greater headaches for LICA’s members work- ing on bridge projects. This instability in the market leads to a frustration with the bidding processes with governments. Said Herbst, “a lot of times they’ll put out a bid and delay the award,” explaining that over time this leads to them facing fluctuating prices, and sometimes losing suppliers: “How do you put a bid price out here and all of a sudden you don’t know when the job is really going to take place when we have such uncertainty in the market right now?” Ultimately, the outlook is bright. There are major projects underway after the recent influx of funding for sewer pro- grams in the region in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy - to provide resistance and resilience in a region where 75% of the area does not have sewers. Alongside this, Herbst explained that there are two large transit programs ongoing, one includ- ing the first track on the Long Island railroad in over 100 years to be added. “I think we’re in good shape. The future is very positive for Long Island,” Herbst said. LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst (right) with New York State Senator Mario Mattera (2nd from right) and two members of labor. LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst (3rd from left) joins labor leaders and other stakeholders at Station Square groundbreaking in Ronkonkoma. LICA member on the job for a runway extension project at Republic Airport. LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst (podium) is joined by New York State Senator John Brooks (left of podium) and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (right of podium) at a press conference calling for increased safety measures on the Southern State Parkway. | 17 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 18 JULY 2022WRITTEN BY DAN SCANLON W alk into a casino in Las Vegas and you find yourself in an environment where the machines blink and beep, the lights stay on all night and the drinks are on the house. This, of course, is no accident. They want you to keep playing and pushing your chips out further and further until, finally, you’ve lost it all. It’s especially difficult to keep one’s head after you’ve been winning for a while. Success in business has these same dangerous qualities. | 19 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >