Bergerson Construction, Inc.
Marine & Heavy Civil Construction
55 Portway • Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-7130 • CCB# 63328
www.bergerson-const.com
HARTMAN
ENGINEERING 1.716.759.2800 | www.hartmanengineering.com
4910 Ransom Road, Clarence, NY 14031-2141
Our firm has many years experience taking on the challenges of difficult design problems in the
specialized area of cofferdams, retaining walls, foundation support, and damaged structures
Frost’s mental health awareness campaign
goes well beyond information stickers.
It’s impossible not to notice suicide
prevention resources on his job sites. From
banners to Need to Talk logos to crisis
hotline phone numbers, everywhere workers
turn, they’re exposed to vital mental
health resources.
The spark that ignited a cause
Frost has been the safety, health and environmental
manager at Balfour Beatty’s
Portland office since 2017. Initially, he provided
the usual safety resources to work
sites and conducted training and field
audits. His focus was on general contractor
safety until a company-wide email circulated
a few years ago.
“In 2016, the CDC (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) released a report
that put construction at the top of the list
for industries with high suicide rates,” said
Frost. “So, our vice president sent out an
email during Suicide Awareness Month (in
September) that highlighted that. I felt like
it was something that needed to be discussed
more frequently, so I made it my job
to help introduce it into our culture.”
Frost decided to make mental health
awareness and suicide prevention a part of
the Portland office’s Safety Week program
that he termed “Wellness Week.” Along with
the usual information on water, fiber, protein,
rest and heart health, employees also
got information that went well beyond their
physical health needs.
“I got an immediate response from people
in the crowd, so I decided to research it
further,” said Frost. “It turned out that our
Seattle office had a Need to Talk, Talk to Me
pilot program. So, I asked to be a champion
for the Portland office.”
Current ASSP Columbia Willamette’s
president Mark Frisco came into the
position after Frost was selected as the
President Award winner, but Frisco knows
Frost well.
“Steven has shown himself as a fervent
leader in the area of mental health within
the construction industry,” said Frisco.
“Like many male-dominated industries,
construction hasn’t been a natural place
you’d find people opening up. Instead, it is
more likely an industry where you would
keep your feelings to yourself in fear that it
would otherwise reveal your weaknesses.
Steven has been instrumental at bringing
attention to these opposing viewpoints.”
MENTAL HEALTH
“Workers always know who they can approach
to talk to. It’s as simple as tapping one
of us on the shoulder and saying, ‘Hey,
I need to talk about something.’”
– Steven Frost
is a training program that teaches people
how to detect, intervene with and manage
someone at risk for suicide.
“I wanted to be the best resource I could
be for the employees,” said Frost. “QPR
training is about being a bridge for people
to the resources they need. It’s important
to let them know, ‘If you’re going through
something, there’s someone at work you
can talk to.’”
82 | ISSUE 5 2020 www.piledrivers.org
/www.bergerson-const.com
/www.hartmanengineering.com
/www.piledrivers.org
