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Why Better Contracts Could Save Lives in Construction (EP 280)
Description
In this episode, Paul is joined by Marc Preston —Quantity Surveyor, dispute resolution specialist, registered counsellor and CEO of New Foundation Counselling—to discuss one of the construction industry's biggest challenges:
Why are we still losing so many people to poor mental health?
Drawing on decades of experience across Tier 1 contracting, development, dispute resolution and counselling, Mark shares a unique perspective on the commercial and cultural changes needed to make construction a healthier place to work.
The conversation explores:
- why mental health should be treated with the same importance as physical health;
- how poor payment practices, inappropriate risk transfer and adversarial procurement contribute to unnecessary stress across the supply chain;
- why collaboration must become more than a contractual buzzword;
- the practical changes contractors can make—from welfare facilities to better leadership—to improve wellbeing on site; and
- why Mark believes the industry needs structural change, not just greater awareness.
Paul and Mark also debate whether contracts should play a bigger role in driving better behaviours, the commercial case for investing in mental health, and why improving working environments isn't just the right thing to do—it's good business.
The episode closes with a simple message:
if we want better projects, we need to build a better industry for the people delivering them.
A thought-provoking conversation for QSs, Commercial Managers, Project Directors and construction leaders who believe commercial success and looking after people should go hand in hand.
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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
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