Dynapac and AJAX Paving addressing mental health in construction

Dynapac and AJAX Paving are addressing mental health in construction.
By MJ Woof March 26, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
A new initiative by AJAX Paving and Dynapac is addressing the issue of mental health in construction – image © courtesy of Mike Woof


Dynapac is taking an unusual step in the construction sector by partnering with a leading road contractor, AJAX Paving, to address mental health issues in the industry. The two firms are working together on an initiative from the National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA).

Jamie Roush, president of Dynapac North America said that there is a need to shine a light on the problem of suicide in the construction industry.

Construction can be a dangerous industry to work in but according to Roush, around 2-3 times as many of the workforce will die at their own hands than from workplace accidents.

This shocking figure should be of serious concern. Given the shortage of people entering the industry and the large number of older personnel retiring, construction cannot afford to lose anyone through suicide. And this is without considering the sheer human cost of so many avoidable deaths.

Dr Vince Hafeli, president of AJAX Paving Florida commented, “This is a tough industry but we have to treat employees with respect.”

He said that it is important to ensure that there is compassion in the workplace, with no bullying and an understanding of the stresses that factors such as night shift working, sleep deprivation or being away from families can impose on individuals.

Roush said, “We hope this will grow and that the initiative will get people talking.”

 

Asphalt milling, paving & compaction

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Caribbean: a region stepping up to the road safety challenge
    July 5, 2016
    Transport Minister sets ambitious Vision at IRF Caribbean Regional Congress. Returning to Montego Bay, Jamaica, IRF’s 5th Caribbean Regional Congress was dominated this year by discussions focused on reducing injury risk through coordinated action by public and private sector stakeholders. Close to 100 participants from a host of Caribbean nations have reaffirmed a vision for roads free from death and serious injury. Many of Jamaica’s government departments with a role in achieving this vision were prese
    Read More
  • Current technologies could eliminate 90 per cent of traffic accidents
    April 27, 2012
    Nearly every traffic accident caused by driver error – up to 90 per cent of all crashes – could be eliminated if existing intelligent transportation technologies were implemented in vehicles and on roads, say experts at IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association. These include electronics and computing technologies such as in-vehicle machine vision and sensors to detect drowsy drivers, lane departure warning systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications for s
    Read More
  • Concerns over increased US road fatality rate in 2012
    November 25, 2013
    Data from the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that highway deaths increased to 33,561 in 2012, an increase of 1,082 over the figures for 2011.The official Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data reveals that the majority of the increase in deaths, some 72%, occurred in the first quarter of 2012. Most of those involved were motorcyclists and pedestrians. This newly released data marks the first increase in road related fatalities in the US
    Read More
  • CECE Congress focuses on future of construction
    May 8, 2012
    The bi-annual CECE Congress was held in Spain when participants looked forward in a bid to see what will happen in the next ten years. Growth markets such as China, India and Brazil offer big opportunities to European construction equipment manufacturers. As companies, particularly those from China, start to expand outside their own countries the competition for business will increase, and it has been claimed that there is no such thing as 'the global market', rather it is the sum of hundreds, if not thousa
    Read More

Highlighted Content