Build & Thrive

In this episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong speaks with Kevin Bampton, Chief Executive of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), about one of construction’s most overlooked challenges - protecting workers from ill health caused by work itself.

They explore what occupational hygiene really means, why health has lagged behind safety in the industry, and how prevention-focused design can help create a construction sector that doesn’t just build structures - it sustains people. Kevin explains the role of BOHS in shaping standards, research, and advocacy across the UK, and shares why managing workplace health is both a moral duty and a major business advantage.

What we cover:

• Why safety dominates attention while health risks remain hidden
• How long-term illnesses like respiratory disease, asthma, and vibration injuries develop - and how to prevent them
• The economic cost of poor health management (including a 15% hit to labour costs)
• Why planning for health at design stage changes everything
• How construction can learn from other sectors and countries that treat their workforce like skilled athletes
• The future of occupational hygiene - from policy to practice

Kevin’s message is clear: no one should be made ill by their work. Real progress means moving beyond reactive care and embedding prevention at the heart of every project - because healthy workers build better, safer, and more sustainable futures.

If you’re serious about creating a construction industry that values people as much as projects, this episode is essential listening.

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Kevin Bampton:

• Website: https://www.bohs.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bampton-6b55441a3/  │https://www.linkedin.com/company/bohs/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohsworld
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/BOHSworld
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOHSworld
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0pTnkODfIHad5s9dpuPrpw
• https://breathefreely.org.uk/
• https://www.bohs.org/app/uploads/2025/07/Mens-Health-Response-BOHS.pdf

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong brings together two specialists tackling addiction through different lenses: Nick McMurray (Positive Matters) on drugs and alcohol, and John Fenna (Bet Know More UK) on gambling harms. We explore why “zero tolerance” alone doesn’t change behaviour, how addiction intersects with mental health and money stress, and what a practical, prevention-led approach looks like on real construction sites.

You’ll hear lived-experience insight, the realities behind “present but not present” at work, and the steps supervisors and leaders can take to move from tick-boxes to tools that actually help people and protect projects.

What we cover

• Why testing and sackings aren’t a strategy and what works instead
• The link between substance use, gambling, mental health and suicide risk
• Younger workforce trends (e.g. cannabis, cocaine, ketamine) and tailored messaging
• The “three A’s” for organisations: Awareness, Acceptance, Action
• Practical moves: policy with compassion, manager confidence, meaningful signposting

Nick and John share evidence, insight, and compassion - showing how construction can move from tick-box policies to meaningful action that saves lives and strengthens workplaces.

🎧 If you want to understand the real story behind addiction in construction and what your organisation can do about it - this episode is essential listening.

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

John Fenna:

• Website: https://www.betknowmoreuk.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betknowmore-uk/ │ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfenna/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betknowmoreuk/

Nick McMurray

• Website: https://positivematters.co.uk/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/positive-matters-ltd-uk/ │ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-mcmurray-06b14628/

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Jacqui Wallis, CEO of Genius Within, to explore a topic many in the construction industry are only just beginning to understand: neurodiversity at work.

With over 25 years of experience and her own lived perspective as a neurodivergent leader, Jacqui brings insight, empathy, and practical solutions to a conversation that’s long overdue. Together, Jennie and Jacqui unpack what neurodiversity really means - covering both lifelong and acquired cognitive differences - and how these impact productivity, communication, safety, and wellbeing in high-pressure, fast-paced environments like construction.

You’ll learn:

• What neurodiversity is (and isn’t)
• Why construction may have a higher prevalence of neurodivergent workers
• What the latest CITB-backed research says about prevalence and disclosure
• How workplace design, communication style, and onboarding practices affect performance
• Simple, no-cost strategies to better support your people
• Why awareness is no longer enough - and where to go for free training and tools

Jacqui also shares a powerful case study from a suicide prevention charity, offering a sobering reminder of the real human cost when mental health and cognitive health are overlooked.

🎧 If you’re ready to build a more inclusive, productive, and resilient workforce - this episode is essential listening.

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Jacqui Wallis:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquiwallis/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/genius-within-cic/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacswol/
• Website: https://geniuswithin.org/
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GeniusWithinCIC
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@geniuswithincic
• Genius Finder: Welcome | Genius Finder

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

In this powerful and honest episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with Nick O’Shea – construction professional, podcast host, and person in recovery – to talk about the role addiction plays in the construction industry.

With over a decade in construction and a personal journey through drug and alcohol addiction, Nick offers a deeply human perspective on the workplace culture that normalises excessive drinking, dismisses mental health, and enables risky behaviours. He opens up about how his own addiction was shaped by the industry, the badge-of-honour attitude towards pub culture, and why drug and alcohol testing isn't enough.

They explore:

• Nick’s personal story of addiction, recovery and sobriety
• The impact of construction culture, long hours, and being away from home
• Why awareness alone isn’t enough – and how organisations need to take real action
• The difference between policy and lived experience
• What the future of wellbeing in construction should look like – and how Nick’s Hard Hat Reset programme aims to support that shift

Whether you're in leadership, HR, boots on site or simply care about your colleagues, this episode is a must-listen. It's about breaking the stigma, challenging assumptions, and building an industry where wellbeing is more than a checkbox.

🎧 Available as a podcast and video:

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Nick o’Shea:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-o%E2%80%99shea-2146541bb/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getsoberwithnick/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@G_S_W_N
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7liv2xGkqO2ETZjs1jPsLV?si=0f5815609d464a8e 

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

Guest: Clare Forshaw: Professional Head of Health & Wellbeing RSSB. Founder & Director at UK Hearing Conservation Association. Board Member British Occupational Hygiene Society

In this powerful and insightful episode of Build & Thrive, host Jenny Armstrong is joined by Clare Forshaw  - respected occupational health expert and director of the UK Hearing Conservation Association - for a candid conversation on one of construction’s oldest and most underestimated health risks: noise.

With decades of experience, including her time at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Clare shares why noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains the most commonly claimed industrial injury in the UK and why current approaches to noise risk are failing the workforce. From inadequate hearing protection to the risks of long-term cognitive decline and dementia, Clare makes a compelling case for urgent culture change.

They discuss:
 🔹 Why hearing loss is more than a minor inconvenience
 🔹 How cognitive health, dementia, and isolation link to NIHL
 🔹 What’s wrong with our current "tick-box" approach to noise management
 🔹 Why younger generations may be arriving on site with existing hearing damage
 🔹 What organisations can do - even on a budget - to reduce risk and improve outcomes
 🔹 The vital role of leadership, planning and principal contractors in reducing exposure

Clare also explains how the UK Hearing Conservation Association is driving innovation, offering best practice resources, and helping employers rethink their responsibilities when it comes to protecting hearing in the workplace.

If you work in construction, rail, or any noisy sector - this is a must-listen. And if you’re a leader wondering where noise risk fits into your wider wellbeing strategy, Clare will give you both the motivation and practical ideas to get started.

🎧 Also available as a podcast and video – if you enjoy the blog or episode summary, be sure to check out the full conversation for even more insight.

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Clare Forshaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-forshaw-7351564a/ 

UK Hearing Conservation Association: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uk-hearing-conservation-association/ 

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with two brilliant guests - Andrew Russell Day, Senior Health & Safety Lead at Amazon, and Ryan Briggs, founder of FinWELL Training - to explore a topic often overlooked in the world of construction: financial wellbeing.

Together, they unpack: 💰 What financial wellbeing really means
 📉 Why it’s so often at the root of mental health challenges
 👷‍♂️ How poor financial health impacts site safety and productivity
 📊 What employers, from major clients to subcontractors, can do to take real, measurable action

This powerful conversation also introduces Financial Wellbeing Month, a growing campaign designed to link money, mental health, and suicide prevention - especially in high-risk industries like construction.

Whether you're a construction site manager, part of a leadership team, or simply someone looking to understand the connection between money and mental health, this episode is full of practical insight, personal stories, and real solutions.

Listen/Watch now to hear:

• Why money problems aren't just personal - they’re a workplace issue
• What FinWELL and R;pple Suicide Prevention are doing to make change
• The steps that clients and contractors alike can take to create financially healthy workplaces

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Andrew Russell-Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-russell-day-32a54834/ 

Ryan Briggs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandbriggs/ 

FinWELL: https://www.finwell.training/ 

R;pple Suicide Prevention: https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com/ 

Mental Health First Aid: https://mhfaengland.org/

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference. 👉  Check Your Score Now

🚧 500 Miles for 500 Lives: Chris Rodgers on Running for Mental Health in Construction

In this powerful episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong speaks with Chris Rodgers, a construction professional on an extraordinary mission—running 500 miles in full PPE to raise awareness of mental health in the industry.

After seeing the shocking statistic that 507 construction workers took their own lives in 2021, Chris knew something had to change. His challenge, 500 Miles for 500 Lives, is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a call to action for the entire industry to step up and break the stigma around mental health.

💬 In this episode, we discuss:
✅ The reality of mental health challenges in construction
✅ Why Chris is pushing his physical and mental limits in PPE
✅ The biggest barriers preventing change in the industry
✅ How companies can take real action to support workers
✅ The incredible impact Mates in Mind is having on construction

Chris’s journey is an inspiring reminder that we can all do more to look out for our colleagues and create a healthier, happier construction industry.

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

🔗 Follow Chris & support his challenge:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/500miles500lives/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@500miles500lives 

JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/page/500miles500lives 

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

The construction industry is known for its long hours, tough conditions, and high-pressure environments. But what impact does this have on the mental health of workers? In this episode of Build & Thrive, we sit down with Matt Jenkins, a construction supervisor and trustee of Lads Minds, a charity dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in construction.

Matt shares his personal journey, the challenges of working in construction, and how he’s made changes in his own life to improve his health and wellbeing. From long hours and job insecurity to the toxic workplace culture that still exists in some areas, we discuss the hidden pressures construction workers face - and what can be done to support them.

In this episode, we cover:

✅ The biggest mental health challenges faced by construction workers
✅ Why toxic workplace cultures and long hours are harming the industry
✅ How organisations can go beyond lip service to provide real support
✅ The story behind Lads Minds and their work breaking the stigma on-site
✅ Matt’s personal health transformation - and his advice for small, impactful changes

Matt’s honesty and passion for creating change in the industry is truly inspiring. If you work in construction or care about making the industry a healthier, happier place… this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B 

🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Matt Jenkins Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-jenkins-97296411b/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app 

Lads Minds: https://ladsminds.com/

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

What role does nutrition play in the health, safety, and performance of construction workers? In this episode of Build & Thrive, Kate Cook, a leading nutritionist and Health & Wellbeing Ambassador for the Considerate Constructors Scheme, joins us to uncover the hidden link between food, wellbeing, and workplace performance in construction.

With years of experience working with major construction companies, Kate shares insights from her research into the lifestyle and dietary habits of construction workers and explains why proper nutrition should be a key part of any wellbeing strategy.

In this episode, we discuss:

✅ How poor nutrition impacts safety, concentration, and mental health on-site
✅ The myths vs. reality of the "typical construction worker's diet"
✅ The impact of energy drinks, high sugar intake, and meal timing
✅ Why breaks and access to healthy food options are essential for wellbeing
✅ What construction companies can do to promote better nutrition in the workplace

Kate also shares practical tips for making better food choices, insights from her work with leading construction firms, and the important role of leadership in driving a culture of health and wellbeing.

If you're in construction, health & safety, HR, or leadership, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Listen now and take the first step towards a healthier, happier workforce!

And finally, a huge thank you to GKR Scaffolding for sponsoring the first series of the Build & Thrive podcast, we highly appreciate your support!

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Kate Cook Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nutritioncoach/ 

Kate Cook Website: https://katecook.biz/ 

Considerate Constructors Scheme: https://www.considerateconstructors.com/ 

GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

In our debut episode of Build & Thrive, we sit down with Lee Rowswell, Group Director at GKR Scaffolding and a passionate advocate for health and wellbeing in construction. Lee shares his inspiring 35-year journey from starting on the tools to leading a £40 million business. We explore his personal experiences, including the life-changing moment that shaped his unwavering commitment to safety, and discuss the challenges facing the industry - manual handling, dust, noise, and mental health.

This episode is packed with insights into how GKR Scaffolding has embraced innovation, from wearable technology to mental health initiatives, to create a healthier, safer workplace. If you're passionate about transforming construction or curious about the future of health and wellbeing in the sector, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Also, a huge thank you to Lee & GKR who have kindly sponsored the first season of Build & Thrive, we’re hugely grateful for your support. 

If you want to learn more about the wearables to improve manual handling in construction contact [email protected]

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Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Take our quick, free assessment to uncover how your organisation measures up in occupational health & wellbeing. Get personalised insights and actionable steps to make a real difference.

👉  Check Your Score Now

Episode Links:

Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ 

Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ 

Lee Rowswell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-rowswell/ 

GKR Scaffolding: https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ 

Lighthouse Charity: https://www.lighthouseclub.org/