Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as issue 145 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 08/12/2021. You can register here to receive them monthly.

TWELVE YEARS OF NEWSLETTERS

Welcome to our 12th Anniversary edition of the eBulletin. Arriving consistently at the same time and on the same day each month, we have covered the changing role of workers and the workplace since 2009. Whilst there has been steady, progressive change (flat screens, sit-stand desks, mini keyboards, laptop stands, etc.) in the past, it is no exaggeration to say that the pace of change is now faster than ever before. We continue to monitor and participate in the key discussions so that we bring you the latest insights and resources from around the world.

WEB PORTAL

You may be unaware – or have forgotten! – that we have had osmondgroup.co.uk as our resource portal for many years. We have not promoted it actively for quite some time but it has just been updated to provide a single point of access to our key online resources and all our social media. You can get to these through our principal website at ergonomics.co.uk but, when you are not looking for products, the portal provides a quick and easy alternative route.

TRAINING

Our virtual DSE Assessor courses are still proving very popular and we already have bookings through until March 2022. In addition, we shall be offering face-to-face training for client in-house courses from the New Year (barring any new Covid restrictions). Obviously, we need larger training rooms (or smaller groups) than we did pre-pandemic but the in-person experience is hard to beat. Find out more about the courses we offer here.

NEW HSE HOMEWORKER GUIDANCE

As you probably know, I have been ranting recently about the way many employers have been neglecting their homeworkers and the fact that, even the more contentious organisations, are often doing a less than comprehensive job. The HSE have just updated their guidance and, whilst the graphics have still not really caught up with the 21st century, the text information is sound. It is also useful to see the HSE making more noise about homeworker needs, including the specific reference to the requirement for assessment. You can see the latest information and video here. (Remember: when you watch the video, focus on the text not the 1980s graphics!).

NEW FIRA HOMEWORKER GUIDANCE

The Furniture Industry Research Association has published two guides, one for employers and one for homeworkers. The former refers to the various stages since the first lockdown (and also references the need for assessments). The latter is particularly useful and provides valuable information about workstation setup as well as the overall working environment, movement and behaviours. Every homeworker should have access to this guide so that they can see what their employer should be doing for them. Feel free to share!

YEAR END SHUTDOWN

Our eBulletin anniversary also means we are approaching the year-end so it is time to let you know when we are closed. This year, we finish at 12:30pm on Friday 24.12.21 and reopen at 8:30am on Tuesday 04.01.22. The order cut-off time for guaranteed despatch of stock items before Christmas is noon on Tuesday 21.12.21. We are all looking forward to a proper chance to switch off after a very demanding year and we hope you have a fabulous break as well.

DRAW WINNER

As I mentioned back in October, we have been actively seeking feedback over the last couple of months and we are most grateful to the many customers who have responded, either via Trustpilot or through our own, more comprehensive survey. We especially appreciate those who take the time to complete the survey and, by way of thanks, award a £180 gift voucher every two months. Our first voucher winner is MD of Peterborough. The next draw will be at the end of January.