Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 09/05/2018. You can register here to receive them monthly.

NEW WEBSITE

I am delighted to be able to say (finally!) that our new web site at ergonomics.co.uk is live. It is now much more representative of our various business activities and we hope you find it informative and easy to navigate. As well as enhancing the presentation of our products and services, we have been able to bring various other web sites under the single umbrella of our principal domain. This means that our Posture Guidance, Stretching Exercises, blogs and various other online resources can all be accessed from a single point.

MENTAL HEALTH ABSENCE & RETURN TO WORK

Recognition of mental health issues and support for openness continue to grow. However, it is difficult to ensure effective management of  the return to work process after mental health absence. Few employers do it well. A team of researchers at Kingston University, Loughborough University and Affinity Health at Work have developed a toolkit to provide a clear Six Step guide for both employers and employees. The guide is free and available here.

NATIONAL ROADSHOW

With three venues completed, we are now half way through our current roadshow plans. You can see some early feedback about the Products Showcase here and the training sessions here. Details of the remaining events at Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow can be found here. Visitors to the Roadshow have found it a particularly valuable opportunity to see and handle new products alongside ones they already know. The training provides practical assistance to anyone involved in the DSE assessment process.

DSE ASSESSOR TRAINING

We are also starting to schedule more of our One Day DSE Assessor Courses. The first is in Bristol on Wednesday June 13, 2018, kindly hosted by Burges Salmon LLP. The venue is in central Bristol, only a few minutes’ walk from Temple Meads Station. This course is approved by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors. Course details, times, costs and registration can be found here.

THE QEHS EXPO

We are also participating in a new event in Coventry in June. The Quality, Environment, Health & Safety Expo includes a broad range of speakers alongside a substantial one day exhibition involving a series of co-located themes. It takes place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry CV6 6AQ. We shall be on Stand K10 and I hope to be delivering a short presentation but we are still awaiting confirmation from the organisers. Further information will follow in next month’s eBulletin.

NAME CHANGE FOR BIFM

The British Institute of Facilities Management has announced plans to change its name to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management as part of its Manifesto for Change. This also includes plans to seek chartered body status in due course. The addition of Workplace to the name reflects a wider range of key functions and recognises ‘the joint responsibility of FM, IT and HR to achieving optimal performance between people, technology and workplace’. The final decision will be made at the Institute’s AGM on July 5, 2018.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

At both the CIEHF and ThinkFM Conferences, there was a lot about ways in which technology is continuing to change our lives at a rapid pace. Amongst other issues, the CIEHF event looked at the Human Factors issues of autonomous vehicles and it seems to me they would already work reliably if only we could remove the unreliable and unpredictable behaviour of traditional vehicle drivers! Meanwhile, FMs are looking at all sorts of opportunities arising from smart sensors and devices. Potentially one of the most cost-effective opportunities is Condition Based Maintenance whereby constant monitoring allows maintenance to take place when needed rather than on a time/use schedule.

GDPR

The fact you have received this newsletter means you are a new subscriber or have taken the trouble to resubscribe. In either case, many thanks! On the broader topic of the General Data Protection Regulation, we are in the process of finalising our procedures, policies and documentation to ensure full compliance by May 25th, 2018. We have deliberately waited as long as practicable to ensure we accommodate all our client and supplier demands within a consistent structure. Once finalised, details will be available here.