Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

     

    Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: PennDOT is Building a Road to Recovery in the Construction Industry

    September 26, 2022
    Melissa Batula

    ​Safety is central to our mission at PennDOT. Secretary Gramian and I spend a lot of time talking about things like equipment safety and the importance of driving the speed limit through work zones to keep the men and women safe who build and maintain our infrastructure. 

    In addition to the physical safety of our workforce, their mental health and well-being is also important. Work-related stress can have a severe impact on mental health and, without proper support, can lead to suicide. This is particularly concerning in the construction industry, which has one of the highest suicide rates compared to other industries.  

    More research is needed to better understand why the rates of suicide in the construction industry are dispropotionately higher than other industries. However, we know that work-related stresses such as seasonal work, demanding schedules and workplace injuries certainly contribute.  

    That is why I recently joined with leaders from multiple Commonwealth agencies and advocates from Prevent Suicide PA to recognize September as Suicide Preventin Awareness Month. Earlier this month, we gathered at an event at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to raise awareness around the work we are collectively doing to embed suicide prevention efforts across systems.  

    At PennDOT, we interact with the public every day across our transportation network and are well situated to take opportunities to share important information with our customers, including information about suicide prevention. There are simple things we can do to potentially save a life, such as posting messaging at our welcome centers and on our 511PA travel information app, and even on our roadways. 

    At the event, I shared a statistic that is truly shocking: The suicide rate in our industry is five times greater than the rate for all fatal work-related injuries. 

    This should be a wakeup call that we need to take suicide in the construction industry seriously. The more we can do to actively destigmatize and raise awareness about mental health, the better. We also need to look at the culture of the industry, and move past the “tough it out, be a man” banter.  

    To all of our employees – and all Pennsylvanians laboring in the construction industry – please know that it is okay to not be okay sometimes. You matter and you are not alone. We care about you and appreciate all you do every day. 

    Video from the September 13 event in Harrisburg is available to view at https://pacast.com/m?p=22180.  


    ABOUT THIS BLOG

    Did you know PennDOT is directly responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of highway and roughly 25,000 bridges? We oversee programs and policies affecting highways, urban and rural public transportation, airports, railroads, ports and waterways, in addition to administering the state's more than 11 million vehicle registrations and 8.8 million driver's licenses.

    So, how do we do what we do? And how can we help you travel in Pennsylvania — whether it be for business or leisure — in safe and enjoyable manner? Read PennDOT Way to learn more about the department, what we do, and how and why we do it.​

    TAGS

    50-Year Anniversary, 511PA, Aggressive Driving, Airports, Autonomous Vehicles, Bicycles, Bridges, Child Safety, Community Relations, Construction, COVID-19, Distracted Driving, District 1, District 10, District 11, District 12, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 6, District 8, District 9, DOTcom, Driver and Vehicle Services, Emergency Responders, Employment, Equity, FAQ Friday, Human Trafficking, Impaired Driving, Innovations, Live Free Ride Alive, Maintenance Monday, Motorcycles, Older Drivers, PA Motorcycle Safety Program, Pedestrians, PennDOT Connects, Ports, Public Transit, Railroads, REAL ID, Road MaP, Roadside Beautification, Rural Roads, Safety, School Buses, Seat Belts, State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC), Sustainability, Teen Drivers, Throwback Thursday, Transportation Funding, Travel in PA, Welcome Centers, Winter, Work Smart, Work Zone, Yellow Dot

     

    LATEST POSTS

    PennDOT Continues Sharing, Updating Resources for Local Governments to Pursue Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Opportunities
    Norwin High School Wins 2024 ‘Innovations Challenge’
    Demo Complete: I-95 CAP Project in Center City Philadelphia
    PennDOT Archeologist Connects Past, Present, and Future
    Lehigh Valley DUI, Highway Safety Task Force Hosts Law Enforcement Seminar

     

    ARCHIVES

    2024

    2023

    2022

    2021

    2020

    2019

    2018

    2017