MAP: Coping with a Serious Injury or Death on the Job

When members witness an accident on the job that results in serious injury or death, they may be left with a range of emotions, including anger, guilt, and a sense of helplessness. Those are perfectly normal feelings. A tragic accident affects everyone on a job site. The reality is that despite improvements in job-site safety, construction can be a dangerous business.

Last year, BAC members working on a construction project at a private university faced such a tragedy when a scaffold collapsed and killed one of their own. Karen Grear, BAC’s Member Assistance Program Director, conducted a Critical Incident Debriefing at the job to help members work through their feelings and in turn begin the healing process. “What impressed me most,” says Grear, “is how well the members on the job site supported one another. They were genuinely concerned for the welfare of those most affected by the loss. They pulled together as a team to help each other cope. It took great courage to respond with such dignity in the face of tragedy.”

Proper counseling after traumatic events, such as a job site death, can help keep members from compounding the emotional distress they suffer and the debilitating effects that may result. Grear explains that Critical Incident Debriefing is used by mental health practitioners to provide on-the-spot therapy to disaster survivors. One or more therapists travel immediately to the disaster site and provide crisis intervention and psychotherapy services. When counseling is delayed or not given, some survivors may develop serious and even debilitating emotional problems.

Critical Incident Debriefing helps trauma survivors identify, communicate, and understand feelings and reactions to the tragedy. “Having an opportunity to talk out feelings with other survivors is a critical first step in the healing process. Sharing feelings with others and receiving their support helps people to overcome a devastating sense of loss,” adds Grear.

If you or someone in your family needs help coping with loss, contact the BAC Member Assistance Program (MAP) to speak privately to a licensed mental health professional. All calls are confidential. MAP assists active and retired BAC members and their immediate families with problems such as depression, stress, family conflicts, alcohol and drug abuse, and retirement concerns. MAP generally is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST by calling toll-free 1-888-880-8820.

“Just ask for MAP.”