This article was originally emailed as issue 166 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 13/09/2023. You can register here to receive them monthly.
THE NEW FRONTIER OF WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS
For neurodivergent workers, loud and brightly lit offices can cause sensory overload, anxiety and fatigue, so it’s essential to consider approaches such as providing adjustable workspaces, quiet zones and flexible working so they can perform at their best. Creating working environments where people can thrive, maximising productivity and preserving health and wellbeing, is the purpose of ergonomics and human factors. However, for decades the focus has been on physical comfort and safety, and more latterly mental wellbeing too. [Read the rest of this article in Safety Management magazine.
ACCESS TO WORK
We are hearing a lot about the DWP Access to Work scheme at the moment and most of what we are hearing is about processing times and waiting lists for assessment. We have worked in and around the scheme for over 30 years and we don’t believe anyone with a disability should have to wait weeks (or months) to address their needs. If you or a colleague want an assessment within days and a report soon after, with recommended actions and a single point of contact, talk to us about an alternative solution. Just schedule a 15 minute virtual meeting to find out more.
WEBINARS & PODCASTS SURVEY
Many thanks to all the legitimate participants in the survey we announced last month. It’s fair to say that the survey was a learning experience, but not in the way I hoped! It seems that announcing an ‘Amazon Gift Voucher’ offer will guarantee a deluge of responses from fake gmail addresses with non-existent phone numbers and, inevitably, unusable responses. It took a little while with some clever tools to remove the 2,000+ fakes but we managed to do so and the winner was Margaret Hanson of WorksOut.
PODCASTS COMING!
From the genuine survey data we did receive, we are sure we need to do podcasts. Expect a monthly session of about 45 minutes. There will be three regulars – a moderator, myself and an established physio/ ergonomist/ researcher (i.e. someone with proper qualifications!) – and a monthly guest. The topic will be selected by the guest under a broad heading of inclusive wellbeing. The one thing that’s missing is a podcast title. If you have any ideas, please email them to us. If we use yours, there will be an unnamed prize that will be identical to something referred to in a paragraph above!
3D PRINTED FURNITURE
3D printing may prove to be a key contributor to circular furniture design and manufacture. You may recall that I referred to this back in February after my visit to the Stockholm Furniture Fair. In addition to the strong evidence of progress in Scandinavia, the Netherlands is also emerging as a leader in this field. This is probably driven, at least in part, by the Dutch government’s requirement for circular design and manufacture in all public sector furniture procurement. Here is an example of a workplace sofa with a 3D-printed frame and 95% recycled materials
Posted by Guy Osmond 
Osmond Ergonomics 