This article was originally emailed as our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 08/01/2020. You can register here to receive them monthly.
As I write this newsletter, Brexit is still an undefined concept, much of Australia is ablaze and hostilities are accelerating in the Middle East. The future of office design therefore seems quite a low priority! However, the reality is, of course, that we all need to get on with our lives and I have never been one to vacillate over expressing an opinion! I have therefore been considering what issues I think will become (or remain) central to our thinking about the workplace, how that might impact our activities over the coming decade and what changes may come as a result. [more]
Following last month’s request for pre-launch testers of our new Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool, we had an excellent response. One suggestion was so good that we have rewritten much of the background code to include it! This has put us back a little but it will be worth it. There is still much to do cosmetically (especially with the PDF report) and, of course, we need to test the scoring process thoroughly. If you would like to help, we are always looking for more testers! Click here to register.
I am delighted to confirm that we now have four new videos for ergonomics.co.uk. As this newsletter is published, our web providers have an unresolved technical issue but, within the next few days, we shall be adding a new home page animation plus a brief overview video for each of the three sections, Healthy People, Healthy Thinking and Healthy Workplace. I feel obliged, however, to provide advance warning that the section overviews include quite a lot of me. I have resisted this for several years but our marketing people, inexplicably, think this is a good idea. You may know that I am not averse to the sound of my own voice but watching myself is excruciating!
We are delighted to announce that we have become Corporate Supporters for the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. The supporter logo will now start to appear on our web site and marketing materials. I have been associated with the CIEHF as a member, exhibitor, activist, sponsor, speaker and purveyor of alcohol at functions for over twenty years, going right back to the days of The Ergonomics Society. It is therefore very satisfying to have a more structured vehicle for our association.
As part of our ongoing sustainability programme, we began trialling alternative fuel vehicles as far back as 2000, when we ran three LPG cars. Our policy is to replace company vehicles with more environmentally friendly models but, with vans, this means that a more efficient diesel is still the only viable option. We are making much better progress with cars. Having tried a plug-in hybrid Passat to establish the viability, Stuart Entwistle and I are now running second-hand Tesla S models. These ‘iPads on wheels’ are great value if you let someone else take the first depreciation and also make sound environmental sense. Contact me if you are curious to know more!
Posted by Guy Osmond 
Osmond Ergonomics 