Safety Compliance Solutions hosts Building Hope breakfast for construction suicide prevention

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Safety Compliance Solutions hosted Building Hope on Tuesday, Sept. 15, a breakfast and benefit that brought contractors, subcontractors, engineers, safety professionals and industry partners together to address suicide prevention in the construction industry.

The event, held at Midlands Technical College's Airport Campus, took place during Construction Suicide Prevention Week and was organized in partnership with the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP).

Attendees heard from Cal Beyer, senior director of Safe Workplaces at SAFE Project, and Sonya Bohmann, executive director of CIASP. Both speakers have worked for years to build mental health resources and awareness within the construction industry. The morning included networking, education on suicide prevention resources and a silent auction, with proceeds split between CIASP and SAFE Project.

"Construction is an industry built on taking care of each other," said Kathleen Bruce, estimating program manager at Safety Compliance Solutions and the coordinator of the Building Hope event. “We talk every day about making sure people go home safely, but that responsibility can’t stop at physical safety. Building Hope was about making space for the conversations we don’t always know how to have—about mental health, substance use, suicide and the things people may be carrying long after they leave the job site. If even one person walked away knowing where to turn for help, or feeling better prepared to recognize when someone beside them needs it, then we accomplished something that matters.”

John Atkins, CEO of Safety Compliance Solutions, said the event reflects a responsibility the company feels toward the industry it serves.

"Safety has always meant more than PPE and traffic control to us," Atkins said. "It means looking out for the people on our job sites, and that includes their mental health. Building Hope was our way of saying that conversation belongs in construction, not on the sidelines of it."

Safety Compliance Solutions plans to continue supporting Building Hope and similar initiatives as part of its ongoing safety programming across South Carolina.