Professional Builder

An average of two construction workers are taking their own lives every day and 20% of recorded absences in the sector are due to stress, anxiety & depression.

In this episode of The Professional Builder Podcast, host Lee Jones talks to Bill Hill, Chief Executive of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, to discuss mental health issues.

Bill talks through some of the reasons the mental health problem is prevalent in the construction sector, shares some sobering stats around suicide and offers some advice and support on how to tackle the issue.

Also in this episode, news and data from The Builders Merchant Federation, Alliance Fund and market research company Eureka!

Thanks to our episode sponsor Steel Blue who provide some guidance on selecting the right safety footwear on site. You can also read our Steel Blue review in the May edition of Professional Builder magazine.

Why don’t you send us your tips? Or do you have a story? Email [email protected] or [email protected]

How are your knees? Whilst we routinely safeguard our heads with hard hats and our lungs with masks far too many builders are risking crippling injuries by kneeling on hard and uneven surfaces without protection.

In this episode we go knee-deep into this vital health & safety issue. We hear from GP Alice Fitzgibbon about how builders can avoid bursitis and osteoarthritis. You can also get some knee protection advice from ToughBuilt, the episode’s sponsor, who has launched a KneelSmart KneelSafe campaign and provides an extensive range of kneepad solutions for the trades.

There’s also, news from the Federation of Small Builders, Construction Industry Council, Band of Builders, the Dulux Academy and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.

Why don’t you send us your tips? Or do you have a story? Email [email protected] or [email protected]

Knee health links

www.nhs.uk 

www.versesarthritus.org

Save the date

The next set of shows from Professional Builder take place on the following dates. Stick them in your diary!

London's Alexandra Palace on the 30th and 31st of March 2023

Yorkshire Event Centre Harrogate on the 27th & 28th April 2023

To find out more visit www.toolfair.info

Heritage plastering is a creative craft, and it’s spreading into the mainstream. This episode, host Lee Jones heads to South Derbyshire to meet a master of this traditional art, the highly skilled Philip Gaches.

Philip – who’s been undertaking and teaching decorative plastering for 44 years – discusses the relevance and benefits of lime plastering in 2023. Philip tells us its creative and financially rewarding, plus a bunch of other reasons it’s worth adding it to the ol’ skillset.

Jacobean, Elizabethan – find out what’s behind these niche plastering processes.

Did we mention Phil’s plastered some of our favourite palaces and his sons have even followed him into the trade?

Also on this episode, Terry Smith’s tip of the trade and the latest construction news with Freya Coleman.

Links from the show

Find out the dates for all our live events www.toolfair.info

Read features and news online, or sign up to our newsletter at www.probuildermag.co.uk to receive our digital edition. (Remember, a print copy of the magazine can be found on the trade counters of all good builder’s merchants.)

Find out about training courses with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) 

More about Philip’s family business can be found here Gaches Plastering.

Send your news stories to Lee Jones, [email protected] Or if you have a ‘Tip of the trade’ in you, record it on the voice recorder App on your phone, and send it to [email protected]

Improving the Efficiency of Home Heating. To read the guide, visit www.hhic.org.uk.