Unions and experts hope a new program based on construction industry workers looking out for their mates will curb a sector-wide suicide rate which is up to 25 per cent higher than the Australian average.

A new report by the Hunter Medical Research Institute has found training workers to notice changes in behaviour on building sites and encouraging colleagues to seek help lowers the risk of suicide.

The Institute's Professor Christopher Doran said a program called Mates in Construction has had a major impact in Queensland.

"Mates in Construction achieved a 10 per cent reduction in the risk of suicide over a five-year period between 2008 and 2012 in Queensland," he said.

"If we translate that into New South Wales, we could reduce the suicide rate and also save costs for the building industry and the government."

The Mates in Construction program urged workers not to ignore people who may be struggling on building sites and refer them to support services such as social workers and psychologists.

The program, funded by unions, employers and the Federal Government, was trying to change the construction industry culture, which is 98 per cent male.

Mates in Construction trainer Matt Cole, who is based at the South Australian Royal Hospital building site, said the building industry has seen a "silent generation" of workers.

"We didn't talk about our problems or go and seek help and ask 'are your mates OK?'"

Chief executive of Mates in Construction in South Australia, Michelle Caston, said potentially men were not very good at seeking help.

"So they're struggling, they don't know who to talk to or they haven't got a mate that says 'come on, we can do this together', so they may not seek help."

Isolation, job impermanence factors in high rate

Mr Cole said there were many factors contributing to the high suicide rate.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 4 minutes 42 seconds 4 m 42 s Changing the culture in construction

"There are relationship issues, finances, involvement with the law, drugs and alcohol, and bullying behaviour is huge in our industry," he said.

Ms Caston also said there was no permanency in the construction industry.

"It's not like being a public servant and once you join you have a job for life," she said.

"With our industry, they go from job to job and when they've completed their part of the work then they often become unemployed."

Other suicide risk factors included online gambling and isolation for workers travelling to interstate building sites.

"It's common for construction industry workers to work a six-day week and long hours to meet deadlines," Ms Caston said.

Younger construction workers and apprentices most at risk

Those who run the Mates in Construction program said apprentices and young workers aged between 15 and 24 were ten times more likely to take their own lives than die from an accident on a building site.

Jesse Walker, 18, worked in construction when he took his own life in early 2014. ( ABC News )

South Australian construction worker Michael Walker has been working on building sites for 20 years.

His son Jesse followed him into the construction industry and started an apprenticeship last year.

But six months ago, Jesse took his life, at the age of 18, after becoming overwhelmed by a series of problems.

"There was a lot of people who he confided in and we've since found out that he was telling all of his friends a little bit of the story but nobody got the whole thing, nobody got the whole picture," Mr Walker said.

He said it was time for the construction industry to change.

"I want people to look out for their mates. I want people to get involved with these programs, take them to their work sites or factories or wherever they are working and get that message out there to say it is OK to talk about it. It’s OK to talk about your feelings, if you can't talk with your family or friends, then ring the Mates in Construction hotline."

Program may be used in other industries

The Mates in Construction program has trained 60,000 construction workers in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.

Since 2008, more than 2,000 workers have been referred to social workers or psychologists.

Contact officers on building sites are identified by stickers on their hats and can refer construction workers to services for help.

Ms Caston said she knows the program has made a difference.

"From my team alone, I know that this year we have three people who are still alive today because they rang 1300 642 111 and came in and spoke to us. They were that serious."

Professor Doran said it might be possible to apply the Mates in Construction program to other industries.

"If Mates in Construction was rolled out to other states, we'd see some positive results," he said.

"Suicide rates are high in other industries as well. We are currently working with people in the mining sector and a whole range of other industries to implement a similar program."

Construction workers and their families can contact the Mates in Construction hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1300 642 111.