How basic facilities shape dignity, safety, inclusion and the future of mobile work
When we talk about health and wellbeing in construction, it’s easy to immediately think about fatigue, mental health, dust exposure or musculoskeletal injury. But there is a foundational issue – so basic, so universally human, and yet so routinely overlooked – that it undermines every other initiative if we don’t get it right.
Welfare.
In the latest episode of the Build & Thrive podcast, host Jennie Armstrong sat down with Stu Drinkwater, Co-Founder of TAL (Take A Leak), and Andrea White, Managing Director at A W Fire Ltd, Fire Engineer and early investor, to shine a light on a problem many mobile workers silently endure every day: the lack of reliable access to toilets, clean water, and basic facilities while travelling between sites.
This conversation is unavoidably human. It’s honest, overdue, and full of uncomfortable truths but also full of hope for what better could and should look like. And if you haven’t yet listened to the full episode (or watched the video version), this blog is your invitation to dive deeper.
Why Welfare Cannot Be the “Forgotten” Part of Health & Wellbeing
Construction is an industry built on practicalities – schedules, logistics, sequencing, risk assessments. But for thousands of mobile workers, even the most fundamental human necessity can become an obstacle.
As Jennie Armstrong put it at the very start of the conversation:
“If organisations don’t get this bit right, it absolutely negates all of the good work they’re doing in other areas of health and wellbeing.”
Welfare isn’t an “add-on” to wellbeing.
It is wellbeing.
And yet, as Stu shared, the reality is stark:
- Most mobile workers only use a toilet once per day, compared to 4-5 times for an office worker.
- Many intentionally dehydrate themselves to avoid needing the loo.
- Women face disproportionate barriers, from safety concerns to lack of private facilities.
- Workers routinely eat lunch in stairwells, vans, or outside in poor conditions.
- Many rely on cafés or petrol stations – if they can find them – or worse, unsafe or undignified alternatives.
The effect? Poor health, reduced concentration, dehydration, fatigue, musculoskeletal issues, increased accident risk, and real barriers to retention.
This is more than an inconvenience.
It’s a systemic wellbeing gap hiding in plain sight.
The Birth of TAL: A Simple Idea Solving a Universal Problem
TAL – Take A Leak – was born out of lived experience.
Stu and his co-founder, Nathan, had spent years travelling between sites with no predictable way to access a toilet, hot water or a clean space to rest. As Stu recalled: “We kind of just accept that access to welfare when you’re on the road is terrible. And it’s mind-boggling that it’s been normalised.”
Their experiences were echoed across the industry. Everyone had a story – of dehydration headaches, of planning routes by toilet availability, of uncomfortable and embarrassing moments trying to “just get through the day”.
The solution they designed is elegantly simple.
TAL is a national network of partner venues – cafés, pubs, restaurants, libraries, community centres – offering reliable welfare access to mobile workers. Through the TAL app, workers can:
✔ See local welfare options on a map
✔ Navigate directly to the venue
✔ Access toilets, clean drinking water, warm seating and a place to heat food
✔ Use facilities for up to 30 minutes at no cost to the worker
Employers pay the equivalent of a cup of coffee for each check-in, most of which goes directly to the venue.
The result is a win-win-win:
Workers gain dignity and health, employers fulfil their duty of care, and venues receive additional footfall and revenue.
As Stu shared: “Our vision is for all UK mobile workers to be within 10 minutes of adequate welfare wherever they are.”
It’s ambitious – but achievable.
A Fire Engineer’s Perspective: Why Welfare Is an Equality Issue
While Stu came to TAL from a business background, investor and fire engineer Andrea White arrived through lived experience.
She described countless days conducting fire risk assessments in buildings with no welfare for visiting staff. Her examples were deeply relatable and quietly shocking.
“I know what it’s like to eat my lunch on the top of the communal staircase because that’s the quietest place. And I know what it’s like to limit my water intake in the morning so I don’t need the loo.” – Andrea White
For women, the issue is amplified.
Construction has worked hard to improve inclusion, but welfare remains a barrier too often overlooked. Women cannot simply “make do” with improvisation or unsafe alternatives. And this impacts retention – a factor in the industry’s long-discussed “leaky pipeline”.
Andrea put it plainly: “This is a basic human right. And yet for mobile workers, it’s often the first thing to slip.”
Her advocacy highlights a critical truth:
Welfare is not only about facilities – it’s about dignity, equality, and belonging.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Welfare: Health, Safety and Performance
The conversation explored an overlooked chain reaction: poor welfare creates poor hydration, which creates fatigue, which creates safety risks.
Fatigue, concentration loss and dehydration significantly increase the chance of:
- Road accidents
- Poor decision-making
- Physical injury
- Reduced cognitive performance
As Stu noted: “You’ve got people on the road who are dehydrated, fatigued, and not cognitively there. That increases the risk of causing accidents.”
This is a health issue, a psychological safety issue, and a commercial issue.
Where welfare fails, performance fails too.
And for an industry already facing recruitment challenges, the workforce cannot afford unnecessary attrition linked to poor working conditions.
Legislation vs. Reality: Why Current Welfare Rules Don’t Cut It
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide welfare facilities but enforcement for mobile workers is inconsistent.
The truth?
Most organisations rely on an unspoken workaround: “Use a petrol station” or “Find a café.”
But as Stu highlighted, the HSE itself is aware of the gap and the lack of feasible, affordable solutions. TAL’s arrival signals a turning point. If scalable alternatives exist, regulators could begin enforcing the rules more firmly.
This isn’t about punishment.
It’s about finally acknowledging what has always been true:
Mobile workers deserve better.
Why TAL Matters: Culture Change as Much as Practical Change
One of the strongest messages from this episode is that TAL isn’t just a tech solution.
It’s a catalyst for cultural change.
As Jennie summarised beautifully: “This isn’t about fancy wellbeing programmes. This is about getting the basics right.”
TAL opens the door for organisations to:
- Start conversations about dignity
- Truly listen to the lived experience of mobile workers
- Address inclusion gaps
- Improve retention and morale
- Fulfil legal obligations with ease
- Demonstrate visible, practical care
And perhaps most importantly, it signals to the workforce:
We see you. We value you. Your basic needs matter.
What Organisations Can Do Today
The episode ends with practical steps that any contractor or organisation can take now:
1. Acknowledge the issue openly
Many leaders simply don’t know the scale of the problem.
2. Speak directly with mobile workers
Ask how they manage welfare today. The stories may surprise you.
3. Pilot a welfare solution like TAL
TAL offers free trials and pay-as-you-go use.
4. Review welfare provision in tendering, planning and daily deployment
Make the 10-minute welfare radius a standard benchmark.
5. Consider welfare as part of inclusive design
Especially with regard to women and workers with health conditions.
6. Lead by example
As Andrea said: “Go and try it. Do two or three days of mobile working and see how you find it.”
Walking in those shoes changes everything.
A Simple Idea With the Power to Transform an Industry
Construction is full of complex challenges – but this isn’t one of them.
Welfare is fixable.
Affordable.
Scalable.
And transformational.
TAL shows what’s possible when we rebuild the basics.
If you haven’t yet listened to the Build & Thrive episode with Stu Drinkwater and Andrea White, I’d strongly encourage you to explore the full conversation.
The podcast and video versions dive deeper into the stories, the data, and the future vision for welfare in our industry.
Because sometimes, improving wellbeing doesn’t require a groundbreaking new framework. Sometimes, it starts with simply giving people back their dignity – one cup of water, one toilet break, and one safe, clean space at a time.
Key Takeaways from the Episode
- Welfare is a basic need, not a nice-to-have, and it underpins every other health and wellbeing initiative.
- Many mobile workers deliberately dehydrate themselves due to lack of toilets, increasing fatigue and safety risks.
- Women and people with health conditions are disproportionately affected by poor welfare provision.
- TAL provides a simple, scalable way to give mobile workers reliable access to toilets, water and rest facilities.
- Better welfare supports safety, productivity, inclusion and retention across construction.
- Employers can differentiate themselves by proactively ensuring workers have access to suitable welfare.
- Change begins with open conversations and listening to workers’ real experiences.
Watch the full discussion between Jennie Armstrong, Stu Drinkwater and Andrea White, including practical examples and case studies on Build & Thrive – available now on YouTube, Spotify, Buzzsprout and all major platforms.
🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164
📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B
Join the Conversation!
Do you have experiences or thoughts on addiction and recovery in construction?
Drop a comment below or share this post to help break the stigma. Together, we can make wellbeing part of the culture – not just the policy.
Thank you to GKR Scaffolding for sponsoring the Build & Thrive podcast and supporting our mission to improve health and wellbeing across the construction industry.
At Construction Health & Wellbeing, we help organisations create healthier, happier, and more sustainable workplaces.
Contact us today to learn how we can support your strategy.
Learn more about the people and organisations mentioned in this episode:
Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/
Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/
TAL – Take A Leak:
- Website: https://talservices.co.uk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tal-services-uk/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tal_services
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575799996641
A W Fire Ltd:
- Website: https://awfire.co.uk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awfire/
Stu Drinkwater:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdrinkwater/
Andrea White:
GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/
