Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 11/11/2020. You can register here to receive them monthly.

NEW WEBSITE

It has taken us just three months to create our new ergonomics.co.uk on a brand new platform and we hope you will be impressed with the outcome. The most obvious feature is the greater emphasis on homeworker products but you will also find more and more new features appearing as you find your way around the site. For buyers, there is a clearer presentation of each product and its variations, improved communications through the purchase process and immediate access to purchase history. We are also making all orders carriage-free until the end of the year.

For those who use the site more as a research tool, there is more information, more videos and enhanced navigation – and there is much more to come! Please let me know what you think, good or bad. This is an perpetual work-in-progress and all comments and criticisms help us to improve it further.

HOMEFIT – THE SIT-STAND DESK IN A CUPBOARD

Whilst many manufacturers make game-changing claims for their products, it is very rare to encounter something that is genuinely innovative. The most successful products are those you look at and think ‘Why didn’t somebody think of that before?’. HomeFit is just such a product. We have already had significant interest and we know that there is a substantial demand for products that combine ergonomics with aesthetics.

As individuals begin to think about their longer term plans for homeworking, the need to have a work area that blends better with the domestic setting is a major consideration. For those without a dedicated work room, the opportunity to ‘close up and walk away’ at the end of the day is also really valuable. HomeFit just ticks all the boxes!

MENTAL HEALTH IN LOCKDOWN v2.0

The second UK lockdown has started in a very different context from the first. Gone are the long days, bright sunshine (much of the time) and opportunities to get out for exercise in daylight. By the time most of us finish work, it’s pitch dark and may be cold and wet too. Couple that to the fact that the gyms are closed, many of us have not had a proper holiday or much contact with our extended family and friends and we can expect the final quarter of 2020 to be pretty tough.

Our good friends at Champion Health have produced yet another free resource full of practical tips for coping with the demands on our mental and physical health. Download the 9-page pdf here.

YEAR END MEGA PRIZE DRAW

It has been a difficult time for all of us and we wanted to create a really significant prize draw as we approach the end of the year. The new website gives us an excuse and something to shout about. The HomeFit gives us the answer. If you would like to win a HomeFit, simply re-register for this eBulletin.

You won’t get an extra email as long as you use the same email address. You can also register for our new Product Radar bulletins at the same time if you wish (see the archive here). If you decide to go ahead and buy a HomeFit from us in the meantime, we shall even give you your money back if you win the draw!

REINVIGORATING THE TEAM

Many of us within the company have been working almost exclusively at home for several months and we have three members of staff who have joined us since the first lockdown. Like many senior managers, I am acutely aware of the potential impact such circumstances can have on organisational culture and staff engagement. We don’t have any issues yet and we are determined to sustain the company DNA, of which I am so proud.

For that reason, we shall be closing the business completely for a single ‘Reconnection Day’ on Wednesday December 9th. In conjunction with our friends at The Colourworks, we shall be exploring team dynamics, playing some games and reinvigorating the essential connections and interactions that bind us together. Please keep in mind that none of us will be available on that day.

CIEHF WORKPLACE SECTOR GROUP

If you are part of the ergonomics community, you should have already heard that Kirsty Angerer and Ed Milnes have instigated a Workplace Sector Group within the Charted Institute. It already has a LinkedIn Group and its first virtual meeting, held at the beginning of November, attracted 44 delegates and some animated discussion.

Designed for knowledge and information sharing, as well as raising awareness of ergonomics in the broader community, there are already plans for mentorship, greater interaction with architects and designers and individual training sessions on topics like virtual assessments. Contact either of the above about joining the group or Iris Mynott for details about CIEHF membership.