It’s time for industry leadership on mental health, which affects all aspects of construction from boardroom to site, argues new CIOB president professor Charles Egbu. He spoke to Will Mann about his plans for his presidential term.
Mental health and wellbeing will be one of the key themes of Professor Charles Egbu’s term as president of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), which begins this month.
The pro-vice chancellor at the University of East London (UEL) sees the issue as a “golden thread” – coining a term used by Dame Judith Hackitt – which runs right through the industry, affecting decision-making from the boardroom through to site, and in turn impacting on skills, quality, health and safety, sustainability and profitability.
“Construction can be stressful, but other industries could say the same,” Egbu reasons. “If you work in medicine, for example, the implications of not doing your job properly are very severe. But medical professionals are not ashamed to say they are stressed, unable to work properly and rest.
“Whereas in construction, there is this macho culture, where people don’t accept they are unwell, unable to do a job, and may need help. And so the job doesn’t get done properly, and the consequences of that may be seen immediately – through accidents on site – or not till further down the line.
“Leadership has a role here. It is time for industry leaders to challenge some aspects of this macho culture in construction, especially when it impacts negatively on the wellbeing of our workers, the quality of what we deliver, the safety of the people who occupy the buildings we construct and ultimately the bottom line too.
Charles Egbu: CV
- Appointed pro-vice chancellor (education and experience) at University of East London in May 2019.
- Dean at School of Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University, and professor of project management and strategic management in construction, 2014 to 2019.
- Professor of project management and strategic management in construction, University of Salford, 1998 to 2007. Also served as associate head of research and innovation.
- Doctorate in construction project management from the University of Salford.
- First degree (first class honours) in quantity surveying, Leeds Polytechnic.
- Over 15 books and 300 research publications to his credit. Supervised over 20 PhD students and examined over 100 PhDs internationally. Has received more than £25m in research funding in his areas of research interests in the built environment.
- Admitted to the Worshipful Company of Constructors in May 2017 and received the Freedom of the City of London in 2017.
“Construction, unlike other industries, seemingly doesn’t appreciate that mental health equals wealth. When you are well, you make better decisions and make more money.”
Wellbeing and output
There’s a strong link, Egbu notes, between worker wellbeing and the quality of their output – which has been a key CIOB policy issue since 2016 and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
“How often is poor workmanship due to workers being stressed?” he asks. “It’s absolutely right that the CIOB is spotlighting quality, even more so following Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations. It permeates everything we do as an industry – design, materials, workmanship – but also decision-making and management processes.
“Do managers always gather enough information to make the right decision, take time to look at the alternative options, consult with other members of team? Too often the process just uses cost as the basis of decision-making. What about overall added value?
“But the bigger cost comes when poor quality decision-making leads to bad work-manship, rework and extra expense.”
Egbu’s concern is that the focus on quality tends to come and go in cycles. “It’s now centre stage because of the Edinburgh school collapse and Grenfell, but I worry that it will slip off the agenda in five years or so,” he says.
“It needs to be embedded in all kinds of training and education, including vocational training. UEL, like a number of universities with courses in construction management and construction-related areas, is accredited by the CIOB, and as part of that, our built environment curriculum should be infused with quality.”
Egbu joined UEL in May 2019, and sits on the university executive board, the latest move in a distinguished built environment career that includes spells at other respected academic institutions, University College London (UCL), University of Salford, Glasgow Caledonian University and London South Bank University.
Through his work, the professor sees at close quarters how the built environment sector is changing – a more globalised industry, rapid uptake of digital technology, a millennial generation with different attitudes to their predecessors.
“There is a more international dimension to construction,” Egbu says. “The Global Construction 2030 study forecasts construction output will grow by 85% by 2030, with three countries – China, US and India – accounting for 57% of all growth.
It’s staggering.
“And these countries are looking at artificial intelligence, machine engineering, automation, digital, offsite manufacturing – to help them build faster, smarter, more cheaply, with higher quality.
“With that mind, if you are planning the education of a construction manager – wouldn’t you want them to have an international outlook? Whatever happens with Brexit, the UK psyche has to look outward to the wider world – improving our skill base, winning work. We won’t do that by being myopic and inward looking.”
