Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as issue 175 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 12/06/2024. You can register here to receive them monthly.

WILLO

I don’t often promote products in this eBulletin but this is a unique opportunity. I mentioned it obliquely in last month’s edition but here are the full details. The stunning Willo tree is a statement design suited to corporate atrium and reception settings. If your organisation is looking for imaginative and impressive products with outstanding circularity credentials, this ticks every box! The trunk and branch connectors are 3D printed from 100% recycled plastic pellets; the leaves are 100% recycled PET felt made from 2,455 water bottles per tree; the branches are sustainable FSC timber. At the end of its life, the 3D printed components can be shredded, pelletised and used again in a new 3D print design. The felt can also be reprocessed almost ad infinitum. In addition, the biophilic design and acoustic benefits will make it a magnet for your neurodivergent colleagues when located in a typically bright and noisy reception area. And the final detail? We have two trees (currently the first and only two in the UK) used at the TCT3SIXTY exhibition (see below) that we can offer at a special price. Just email me to find out more.

PODCAST GRAPHIC MINUTES

Since I started the podcast, I have planned to provide an effective summary of each episode’s content. However, I wanted something more than the traditional ‘key takeaways’ bullet points. Over the last few months, we have been working with the exceptionally talented Simon Heath and I am pleased to tell you the fruits of his labours are now ready to see. Each episode will now have a content summary in graphic form. It even shows the 10-minute markers so that you can quickly find a specific topic of interest. See for yourself here.

ACCESS ANGEL 

As we evolve our own EDI practices, we are delighted to point out that we have added AccessAngel (from our friends at Thriiver) to our ergonomics.co.uk website to dramatically improve accessibility. Simply click on the icon in the bottom left corner of the site and get instant access to tools that enlarge fonts, change colours, simplify pages for screen readers, convert text to speech, translate, magnify and several other features.

REWARD GATEWAY EDENRED LONDON SUMMIT

As you probably know, I attend lots of events. Whether they are conferences, exhibitions or a combination of both, I find the conversations informative and often inspiring. What I particularly enjoy is seeing how different professionals approach issues, often from a different angle and with different vocabulary but with a shared desire for the same outcomes. From this LinkedIn video, you can see that the 2024 Reward Gateway/Edenred Summit was rather different from the typical Health & Safety, Workplace or Ergonomics conference! It was all about employee engagement and themes of wellbeing and appreciation were common to many other disciplines. Expect to hear one or two of the speakers on my podcast soon!

TCT3SIXTY

I mentioned this exhibition in last month’s eBulletin and I spent a day attending and assisting my brother’s company, LF3D by MSA Manufacturing. The event is entirely about 3D printing in all its forms. Exhibitors showed 3D printing machines, 3D printing supplies, 3D printed products and 3D printing services. You’ve probably seen one of those desktop 3D filament printers but this is nothing like that! This LinkedIn video from my brother, Max, shows what was on the stand. Apart from two small items, every product on display was 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. And watch out for the Willo!

This article was originally emailed as issue 174 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 08/05/2024. You can register here to receive them monthly.

PODCAST NAME

After months of requesting name ideas, we have given up asking! Whilst we had some very clever suggestions, none of them quite hit the spot, some were already in use elsewhere and some were just a bit too clever! (We decided that any name that needed a paragraph to explain the meaning was not going to work). Along the way, we have also become rather attached to As Yet Untitled and lots of people have said we should just stick with that, especially since the final format is still evolving and the range of topics is diverse. So that’s what we are going to do! The name will remain As Yet Untitled. However, we haven’t forgotten that we promised to give away a £100 Amazon voucher so, in the absence of an outright winner, we have donated the £100 to SSAFA – the Armed Forces Charity.

CIEHF: HUMAN FACTORS IN THE WORKPLACE

In my 30+ years of workplace wellbeing and ergonomics activities, I have never known a time when Human Factors played a more central role in the discussions of workplace professionals. Yet there was nothing about workplace on the recent CIEHF Conference agenda! A few of us within the CIEHF are planning to reawaken that focus through the Workplace Sector Group. If you would like to know more (whether or not you’re a CIEHF member), please let me know.

LARGE FORMAT 3D PRINTING

What if I offered you a statement product for your corporate lobby or atrium with these features – 100% recycled raw material; 100% recyclable at end of life; biophilic impact; acoustic impact; aesthetic impact and, although it’s been designed in the USA, bringing the design to the UK for local manufacture under licence has the carbon footprint of an email attachment? We plan to launch our first truly circular furniture product on June 5th & 6th at the TCT3sixty Exhibition. This event is probably not in your diary so contact me if you would like to know more

WORKPLACE TRENDS YOUTUBE CHANNEL

I have stated previously how much I enjoy the Workplace Trends conferences. They present case studies, research and information at the cutting edge of workplace design and thinking. You can now find previous sessions on their YouTube channel. At the moment, most of the content is a few years old but regular updates are now being added. Follow the link and subscribe to see new content as it appears. Then attend in person! That’s where you will find that the face-to-face conversations and networking are the icing on the cake.

OSMOND IWS – SNEAK PREVIEW

After a year of preparation, the launch of our new Inclusive Wellbeing Services is only a few weeks away. This will be a comprehensive range of training, assessment and consultancy services to create a truly holistic approach to workplace wellbeing. Watch out for more news very soon!