I'm The Gaffer

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The GafferIf you have ever watched a lift sit waiting till half ten while the paperwork gets finished, or wondered why so many good crane people freeze at the thought of the appointed person course, this episode is for you.In this episode, Kevin Bennison joins Gavin Coyle. Kevin is the founder of InspHigher, a lifting operations trainer, former soldier and lifelong learner with over 25 years across the lifting industry. He joined the Army in 1995 as a plant operator in the Royal Engineers and earned his wings as an airborne soldier, then spent 10 years on mobile cranes, became an appointed person in 2005, self-funded his way into training in 2010 and started InspHigher in 2020. Today most of his work is non-accredited training built around what organisations and their people actually need: advanced AP, management of lifting operations, and helping supervisors pass knowledge on to their teams.You'll learn:- The maths reassurance: if you can work out your weekly wage with overtime, you can do the AP course- The VARK learning styles, and why site teams keep getting trained the wrong way for how they actually learn- The paperwork problem: lifts starting at 10:30 instead of 8:30- The 10-year-old and the crane: stopping a load strike is trained behaviour, not a document- Start with supervision, get that right and everything else gets easier- 85-90 hour weeks, no freedom, and "don't let the story stop you"Episode Highlights / Timestamps (54:56 total)· 00:00 Coming up· 00:51 Welcome Kevin· 03:49 Joining the Army· 05:36 Starting InspHigher· 09:37 Is the AP course really that tough· 13:13 "If you can calculate your weekly wage..."· 15:42 The VARK model· 17:58 What an AP earns· 21:10 85-90 hour weeks· 22:18 "The outer voice becomes the inner dialogue"· 24:23 Crane companies questioned on lift plans· 33:39 Lifts starting at 10:30 instead of 8:30· 35:59 The 10-year-old who could stop the crane· 39:12 Devil's advocate: pay and agency labour· 46:49 Start with supervision· 51:04 Favourite books· 53:11 Where to find Kevin· 54:14 WrapConnect with Kevin Bennison- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinbennison- InspHigher: insphigher.co.uk- InspHigher YouTube: youtube.com/@InspHigherMentioned: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey), The Way of the Hermit (Ken Smith), the VARK model, CPCS/NPORSAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer If you have ever sent a man 200 miles in a van with two ladders on the roof rack and wondered why he didn't "work safely," this episode is about why falls from height are still the number one killer on site, and what 45 years at the sharp end of the access industry says actually fixes it.Peter Bennett OBE joins Gavin Coyle. Peter is managing director of PASMA, executive director of the Ladder Association, chair of the No Falls Foundation and a past president of IPAF, 45 years in access, from a Glasgow scaffolding yard with Stevens & Carter to writing the standards the industry works to today. Fresh HSE fatality statistics had been released the very morning of the recording, and Peter walks through what they really mean.You'll learn:• The numbers: 35 killed in falls last year, 361 in a decade, 44,000 non-fatal falls a year in GB• Why non-fatal falls are just as serious, life-changing injuries, not just fatalities• The fatality Peter's carried for decades, and why nobody got counselling• The two most dangerous people on site: the novice, and the over-55 who's "forgotten" the danger• Why banning ladders backfires, train risk assessment instead of prescribing everything• The two-ladders-on-a-roof-rack test for pricing work at height into a jobEpisode Highlights / Timestamps01:09 Welcome: Peter Bennett OBE 09:56 Fresh HSE stats: 35 deaths, 361 in a decade 14:13 The ripple effect 16:40 The fatality Peter can't forget 19:50 Over-55s: "you don't bounce as well" 27:41 Advance guardrails 32:04 "Ladders are banned" 37:44 Two ladders on a roof rack 44:49 Fatal accident inquiry: six deaths 49:29 Retirement, succession 53:00 Favourite booksConnect with Peter Bennett OBE• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peter-bennett-obe-b3884a13• No Falls Foundation: nofallsfoundation.org• PASMA: pasma.co.uk• Ladder Association: ladderassociation.org.uk• Email: [email protected]• Sign up for No Falls Week: https://nofallsweek.org/About Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

If you have ever hopped into a site truck because your trousers were too tight to climb, tucked your glasses under your hard hat to keep them on, or been asked "is that your dad's coat?" this episode is about why that was never good enough, and the new British Standard that says so.Jane Middleton joins Gavin Coyle. She's a senior asset management consultant at AtkinsRéalis and a chartered geologist, shortlisted for an Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering award in 2023. She started out supervising drilling rigs on the Heathrow expansion project, in PPE that didn't fit, and ended up helping write the new British Standard for inclusive PPE and workwear, launched October 2025 with a parliamentary launch behind it, legislation and European adoption now in progress.You'll Learn:What AtkinsRéalis does and how Jane's career led from geology to asset managementHow a simple struggle with PPE sparked a mission for changeWhy the "average man" became the default design standard for workwear and PPEHow Jane helped transform her company's PPE catalogue with more inclusive optionsThe impact of properly fitting PPE on safety, confidence, and belongingMenopause, modesty wear, disability access, and other overlooked workplace needsThe story behind the British Standard for inclusive PPEWhy 82% of female firefighters reported that their gloves don't fitThe business case for inclusive PPE and attracting future talentHow one wheelchair-using project manager challenged manufacturers to think differentlyWhat's next for PPE standards in the UK and EuropeJane's personal passions, lessons learned, and advice to her younger selfEpisode Highlights / Timestamps00:00 82% of female firefighters said their gloves don't fit01:02 Meet Jane Middleton06:41 From geology to asset management13:40 The PPE problem begins14:40 The Hilux moment16:51 The "average man" template17:37 Transforming the PPE catalogue24:41 Bold as Brass26:23 Writing the British Standard28:09 The firefighter glove survey33:28 Accessibility and PPE37:26 The first women's safety Wellington39:08 Taking the standard to Parliament and Europe44:45 What would Jane do differently?50:06 How to connect with JaneConnect with Jane MiddletonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janekelsey/AtkinsRéalis: https://www.atkinsrealis.comThe British Standard (launched October 2025) is free to download, send it to your bossAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer 👷If scaffolding is your default solution for working at height, this episode may change your perspective.Gavin Coyle sits down with Rob Munns, Head of Sales at BFT Mastclimbing, to explore how mast climbing work platforms can improve safety, productivity, and project costs. With a background outside construction, Rob brings a fresh perspective and challenges long-held assumptions about access solutions on site.You'll learn:What mast climbers are and how they workKey safety features and common site mistakes to avoidThe importance of proper training, certification, and inspectionsWhy "buy cheap, get cheap" can be a costly mistakeThe truth about wind limits and other common mythsHow mast climbers reduce labor, improve ergonomics, and increase safetyReal-world cost comparisons between scaffolding and mast climbersThe types of projects where mast climbers deliver the biggest benefitsRob's thoughts on men's mental health and lessons learned throughout his career🎯 Highlights / Timestamps00:58 Meet Rob Munns and BFT Mastclimbing02:13 What is a mast climber?09:48 The drop-down flap safety story12:28 Overspeed safety systems explained17:46 Why quality matters in mast climbing18:29 IPAF training and accreditation25:14 Busting the wind myth28:03 A gang of eight vs a gang of two32:07 The economics of mast climbers35:20 Productivity and ergonomic benefits43:06 The only buildings mast climbers can't handle46:33 Men's mental health and career advice48:08 How to connect with Rob and BFT MastclimbingConnect with Rob MunnsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robmunnsBFT Mastclimbing: bftmastclimbing.comEmail: [email protected] Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer 👷‍♂️If you've ever thought of lean as corporate jargon — or a polite word for layoffs — this conversation will change how you look at your crews, meetings, and margins.In this episode, Kelley Huss, Manager of Lean at JE Dunn Construction, joins Gavin Coyle to unpack what lean really means on a job site. Kelley shares practical lessons from her career in construction and explains how lean can improve efficiency, strengthen relationships, and solve real problems in the field.You'll learn:What lean actually means — and why it's not about cutting headcountWhy lean fails when it's treated as just another checklist or toolHow process mapping helped a trade partner get paid within 19 daysHow weekly work plans helped turn around a losing projectWhy lean managers need relationships and champions, not just expertiseHow lean can be applied earlier in design and pre-constructionWhy treating subcontractors as trade partners can improve collaborationEpisode Highlights / Timestamps00:00 Lean does not mean fewer employees01:59 Is lean an excuse to remove labor?04:23 When lean becomes a checklist07:39 Getting a trade partner paid in 19 days14:02 Turning around a losing project17:46 What makes an excellent lean manager?21:45 Measuring lean and capturing small wins28:23 Why lean belongs earlier in the process32:25 Managing long-lead materials37:50 Why “trade partner” matters45:00 Start with what bugs you45:40 Where to find KelleyConnect with Kelley Huss- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelley-huss-cm-lean-682b0822/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsteel96/- JE Dunn Construction: https://jedunn.com- Her podcast: Rebuild the Construction Mindset (with Jenna Hamilton)- Book she recommends: Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade — on Amazon and AudibleAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more: https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcasts https://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotify https://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsite https://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.