Central Piling MD hosts podcast on mental health in the construction sector.

Since becoming chair of the FPS (Federation of Piling Specialists), Central Piling MD Steve Hadley has launched a series of podcasts on industry issues.

In his most recent October podcast, which Central Piling sponsors, the subject was about mental health in the construction workplace.

Featuring the highly successful comedian, presenter, author and prominent mental health campaigner Ruby Wax, and James Rudoni, MD of the mental health charity Mates in Mind (MiM), the special edition podcast explored why construction has such a mental health problem, how to manage fear, and what we can all do to help others

As FPS chair, Steve hosted the podcast and kicked off the discussion by exploring how Ruby became involved in the issue of mental health, how it led to a Masters degree from Oxford, and how her studies concluded with a show built around the issue.

The podcast also discussed how and why mental health impacts construction disproportionately to many other industries, and particularly topically, Ruby expressed her thoughts on how mental health could be the next pandemic.

Steve then brought James into the conversation and after James explained the origins of Mates in Mind, and why it was needed in the construction sector, Ruby quizzed him on how it supports construction. James talked about how the charity is changing the culture in the construction sector to remove the stigma attached to the words “mental health”, at which point Ruby suggested the word “mental” may actually be more harmful than calling it “a brain illness” – a condition just like any other physical illness.

To listen to the podcast, please go to https://tinyurl.com/y2kq58et.