As Construction Safety Week shines a national spotlight on worker safety, Virginia Tech is taking the opportunity to highlight its innovative construction safety leadership major — a program designed not only to protect workers’ bodies but also their minds. This pioneering major is part of the university’s broader mission to reshape how future construction professionals approach safety, mental health, and leadership in an industry where the stakes are life and death.

“Safety isn’t just about wearing a hard hat and safety glasses — it’s about creating a culture that values both physical protection and mental resilience,” the university emphasized. With this mindset, Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction is positioning itself as a national leader in how safety education evolves to meet modern challenges.

Responding to an Industry in Crisis

The construction industry remains one of the most dangerous sectors in the U.S. Despite decades of regulatory progress, construction still accounts for a disproportionate share of workplace injuries and fatalities. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that five of the top ten most violated safety standards each year are related to construction activities.

But beyond the visible dangers — falls, equipment accidents, structural collapses — lies another, often hidden crisis: mental health. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that construction workers have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the country, a statistic that points to chronic stress, long hours, job insecurity, and cultural barriers that discourage seeking help.

“Construction safety, health, and well-being are like a three-legged stool,” said Brian Kleiner, director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. “If one leg is weak, the whole structure is compromised. That’s how we approach safety education at Virginia Tech.”

A Curriculum Built for Tomorrow’s Leaders

Launched in 2024, the construction safety leadership major is one of the first of its kind in the nation. It includes five specialized courses that cover a wide range of topics: hazard identification and control, building a safety-focused workplace culture, future industry trends, and critically, the integration of mental well-being strategies into day-to-day management.

The curriculum is hands-on and immersive. Students learn not only the technical side of safety but also how to foster environments where workers feel psychologically supported. Virtual reality (VR) simulations are a core part of the program, enabling students to “walk through” high-risk scenarios safely and learn how to recognize, mitigate, and respond to hazards in real time.

“In prevention through design, the ultimate goal should be to eliminate a hazard completely,” the program outlines. “If that can't be done, typically engineering controls are designed which separate the workers from the hazard. The next line of defense is to design administrative controls such as warning signage. Lastly, personal protective equipment, such as helmets, gloves, hearing protection, and fall arrest systems are used.”

“‘Prevention through design’ is the key,” Kleiner added, underscoring how design-phase decisions can often be the most powerful interventions.

Mental Health as a Core Safety Priority

The numbers make it clear: safety cannot be separated from well-being. According to OSHA, 6,000 construction workers died by suicide in 2022, compared to about 1,000 fatalities from on-the-job physical injuries.

“We have to talk about mental health,” said Nazila Roofigari-Esfahan, associate professor and associate director of the Center for Innovation in Construction Safety, Health, and Well-Being. “If workers are stressed, exhausted, or unsupported, it directly affects safety on site. Our students are learning to see the full picture.”

Transforming the Culture of Construction

Beyond technical competence, Virginia Tech’s program is about preparing students to become catalysts for cultural change. Future graduates are expected to lead conversations around mental health, model proactive safety practices, and introduce innovative solutions that address both known and emerging risks.

By embedding leadership development into the safety curriculum, Virginia Tech is working to ensure that tomorrow’s site managers, project leaders, and construction executives don’t just enforce compliance — they create environments where workers can thrive.

Industry Partnerships and Impact

The program has already drawn attention from industry partners, including major contractors, engineering firms, and industry associations eager to recruit graduates with advanced safety expertise. Many companies are investing in safety and mental health initiatives as part of their ESG (environmental, social, governance) commitments, making Virginia Tech’s graduates especially valuable.

Looking ahead, the university hopes to expand the program’s reach, offering workshops, executive education, and research partnerships to spread its safety-forward philosophy across the industry.

Originally reported by Chelsea Seeber in Virginia Tech News.