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The 120,000-strong International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IW) and its 4,000 contracting partners have embarked on, what it describes, as a groundbreaking initiative to tackle the growing mental health crisis in the industry.

It has forged a partnership with CredibleMind, a digital mental health platform that allows its members and their families to anonymously access an extensive array of expert-reviewed services including videos, podcast, articles, apps, books and online programs on a 24/7 basis.

“This bold initiative marks a significant step forward in addressing mental health challenges in the construction trades, which have some of the highest suicide rates of any profession,” says Iron Workers general president Eric Dean.

Ironworkers, in particular, face a disproportionate burden when it comes to mental health, ranking among the top professions affected by suicide, trailing only behind first responders and veterans. The collaboration with CredibleMind aims to break down stigma, increase access to mental health resources and promote psychological well-being across the workforce, he says.

There is no charge to access the platform. It’s a benefit of IMPACT (the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust), and is provided to all Iron Workers members and its signatory contractors, he says.

An integral feature of the service is its anonymity. In the construction industry there has been as reluctance by workers with mental health problems to ask for help. After accessing the many services CredibleMind offers, workers may be more inclined to seek professional help, he says.

The initiative by the Iron Workers underscores a major shift in the building trades in, “recognizing that mental health is foundational to job performance, safety, and overall quality of life.”

How the union selected and entered into an agreement with CredibleMind has been somewhat of an evolutionary process. At an industry roundtable discussion he attended, the high rate of suicides was a major topic.

“We began delving more into this to see what needed to be done. We saw that this (mental health) was becoming a major issue,” says Dean.

That issue has become more profound with the opioid crisis and the social isolation which started with COVID-19.

Mental wellness is just as critical on the jobsite as physical safety, says Dean.

That point is underscored by IMPACT’s Canadian regional director Bert Royer.

“We do dangerous work. We want workers who are 200 feet in the air connecting rigging to be concentrating on the job and nothing else.”

While more government funded health plan services exists in Canada than in the United States, Royer still sees value in the partnership with CredibleMind and how it will benefit Canadian ironworkers.

“Those services are overwhelmed and overstretched and sometimes you need help right away.”

In a separate, but related development, Royer cites the recent creation of a mental health committee by the Canada Building Trades Unions as an example of how the construction industry is addressing mental health issues.

“We are looking for best practices regarding solutions dealing with this important national issue – mental health in construction.”

The committee held its first meeting via Zoom this past May and intends to meet quarterly, he says.