Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as issue 154 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 14/09/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING CONTINUES APACE

Whilst I have mentioned our plan to make 2022 our Year of Knowledge Sharing several times, it occurred to me that I have never created a single paragraph with all the key references in one location so here is my indulgence of hyperlinks – and it’s all free! After a summer hiatus, our Top Tips video portfolio is growing once again. We regularly add blogs on a range of ergonomics and workplace-related topics. Our free webinars typically last 30-60 minutes and are also recorded for viewing on demand. This eBulletin is published monthly at the same time on the same day and the archive is here. We also share our Product Radar new product updates on an ad hoc basis. I have been interviewed for the Journal of Biophilic Design and 1202 – The Human Factors Podcast. Our version of the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool can be found here. Obviously, we also have our established Posture Guidance, Stretching Exercises and numerous other resources on our website. We are also hosting in-person days. See below for more details of our Clerkenwell Events in October.

DEATH OF HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II

We are saddened by the death of the Queen and offer our condolences to her family, friends and the millions whose lives she touched. Showing due respect for her funeral, the business will be closed on Monday September 19, 2022

BIG SUSTAINABILITY EXPO

We are delighted to be involved, once again, with this event. This year, it is at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on September 22nd from 09:30 to 15:00. I shall be speaking at noon with the topic title ‘Ergonomics, Wellbeing & Sustainability – keeping your people and the planet happy, healthy & productive’. There is a full card of interesting speakers and the exhibitor list covers everything from rum and coffee to cars and corporate uniforms. Let me know if you are attending and want to meet for a coffee

CLERKENWELL EVENTS

Spaces are still available for our two whole-day October events but numbers are limited so please book as soon as possible. Our ‘Unique Hybrid Working Event’, designed for Facilities Managers and Health & Safety Professionals, looks at homeworker wellbeing in the morning and the hybrid office in the afternoon. Our second ‘Unique DSE Assessors Event’ is aimed at those who carry out the assessments and explores face-to-face and virtual assessment issues before lunch, then the links between workplace design and wellbeing in the later sessions. Both are FREE events with CPD certificates and full catering included.

CLERKENWELL OPEN

Clerkenwell Open is a comparatively new occasion in the UK workplace design calendar, created by Women in Office Design (WOD). The recent event included some insightful (and animated!) discussions about the future of workplace design and I attended some stimulating presentations. Expect more blogs to emerge from these ideas in due course! The office furniture industry has had a poor sustainability record in the past and WOD’s Sustainable Design Collective shares ideas and best practice in various collaborative, knowledge sharing events. Some of the themes discussed in Clerkenwell will also be explored further at Orgatec in October.

This article was originally emailed as issue 153 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 10/08/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

UNIQUE HYBRID WORKING EVENT

Following the outstanding success of our recent session for DSE Assessors (see below), we have created a new event for Facilities Managers and Health & Safety professionals on Wednesday October 19th, 2022. Hosted at the fabulous 5-storey Orangebox showroom in Clerkenwell, London, the one-day event will delve into the management of homeworker wellbeing in the morning and then discuss and explore approaches to the Hybrid Office in the afternoon. Breakfast, lunch, refreshments and a goodie bag are included on the day and a CPD certificate will be issued after the event. There is no charge. You can find the agenda, further information and registration form here.

(NOT QUITE SO) UNIQUE DSE ASSESSOR EVENT

As mentioned above, our Unique DSE Assessor Event in July went even better than we expected – and we had high expectations. Afterwards, we asked delegates how well it met their expectations and the average result was over 100%! We are therefore repeating it (with minor adjustments in response to delegate feedback) on Tuesday October 18th, 2022. As before, it’s free and all catering and a CPD certificate are included. Get the whole story here.

MORE TOP TIPS

We have been adding short, simple video clips of less than a minute since the start of the year. There has been a little hiatus in the last few weeks but we are still committed to our Year of Knowledge Sharing and another new one has just been added. There will be many more in the next couple of months once the edits from our recent homeworker shoot are completed. You can now see the whole series on both Vimeo and YouTube so feel free to choose your preferred platform.

MORE KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Our Training Manager, Stuart Entwistle, has been running our Homeworking Done Right webinar series for the second time. At the time of writing, there is only Part 3 left but, if you read this before August 25th, you can sign up for it here. You can watch recordings of the first two webinars in your own time here (you will need to login to gain access). We have also been busy blogging on a variety of topics, including the impact of a poor workstation setup on your fitness goals and maximising team performance.

NO TRAINING FOR HOMEWORKERS

I am concerned at what seems to be a growing trend for employers to provide homeworkers with a lump-sum to spend on whatever they need to work at home. Some organisations are even advertising the fact as if it’s some sort of badge of a good employer. My primary concern (apart from the fact that it’s seldom enough money) is that this ‘gift’ is usually given without any guidance or training. The employee then buys online and their often-unsuitable products come with no advice about good practice. Workplace Insight published my recent article on this topic.

This article was originally emailed as issue 152 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 13/07/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

UNIQUE DSE ASSESSOR EVENT

We had been looking forward to this and our first event on July 12th went even better than expected. I say ‘first event’ because we are already planning the next – we have a substantial waiting list of people who could not attend this one. We have not yet set the date but it will be after the summer. Watch out for further information here and through social media or email me now to make sure you are one of the first to have access to registration. I suppose we shall have to think of a new name, though – if we have already done it once, it will no longer be ‘unique’!

WORKPLACE TRENDS – NET ZERO CONFERENCE

Much as I love the return of opportunities for face to face events, I felt that virtual attendance was definitely the right thing to do for this one. The day started with some truly thought- (and action-) provoking sessions by Georgia Elliott-Smith and Anicee Bauer and progressed through case study presentations demonstrating real net zero action amongst today’s buildings and employers. One item I found particularly compelling was Neil Usher’s overview of the GoSpace artificial intelligence tools which provide dynamic occupancy management to directly impact the Triple Bottom Line (people, planet, profit).

HEALTH & SAFETY MATTERS

Yet another publication has been running our articles. The first online piece was about our Homeworking Done Right webinar series. That set of free webinars has been completed so the dates in the article are wrong but everything else is still relevant because we are rerunning the series from July 21st. The magazine also picked up on our article about sit-stand desks and the problems of buying online without training. The piece appears here.

ON-SITE SERVICE FOR FEE EARNERS

Professionals like lawyers and accountants, who bill their working hours, are notoriously bad at ‘getting something done about it’ when they start to suffer from back ache or other musculoskeletal issues. Inevitably, this leads to presenteeism and reduced productivity. Our friends at FitBack have created an onsite physiotherapy and advice service that ensures quick access to effective treatment in a really time-efficient way. Complete the short form here for further information.

DSE ASSESSOR TRAINING

We have just added some more dates for our highly-regarded virtual course, taking us through to the year end. We are also offering face-to-face courses around the country. This often works best if an employer wants a small number of staff trained and is prepared to allow external delegates to join the session. It results in a lower cost to the employer and a ready-made venue for us to use! To discuss ideas for face-to-face training, contact Stuart Entwistle, our Training Manager.

This article was originally emailed as issue 151 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 08/06/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK

It was a delight to be back in London in May and networking face-to-face. Clerkenwell was impressively busy. The majority of products fell into one of two categories: 1) designs for collaboration, meetings, breakout and social interactions and 2) products and settings to get some peace and quiet from the people in 1)!

A conspicuous change in showroom displays was the absence of traditional desks. Almost everything that could be termed ‘a desk’ was part of something else and very few would be suitable for the serried ranks of identical workstations we used to know. By contrast, pods, booths and telephone boxes were everywhere. I was amused by the irony of bringing people back into the office from homeworking alone so that they could sit, alone, in an office telephone box!

Another significant observation was the strong environmental credentials that manufacturers have been working on in recent years. With a global focus on Net Zero trading, this is an area of interest that I expect to grow in the traditionally wasteful office furniture industry.

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR DSE ASSESSORS (UPDATE)

Our free event at the Orangebox showroom on June 21st is ready. Places are filling steadily but there is still time and space to register. In case you missed last month’s information, it is aimed at experienced DSE assessors who are ready to be challenged and want to broaden their horizons. It is a  whole day programme with refreshments and lunch provided. You can see the full agenda and book your place here.

We appreciate that this may need to be postponed due to train strike activity but are continuing to take bookings and will keep attendees updated.

HOMEWORKING DONE RIGHT WEBINARS

You are probably too late to enrol for the second episode in this three-part webinar series but there is still time to register for Part 3: Posture Tips for Home and Office. All three instalments are being made available as an on-demand video after each live event. If you haven’t attended from the beginning, you can benefit from the full series in your own time: just find your missing event recording(s) here.

NEW PRODUCTS FROM BAKKER ELKHUIZEN

Over the last few months, our Dutch friends have been working hard on restyling some of their key products. Most significant are the new, compact additions to their laptop stand portfolio. Beautifully styled to reduce the quantity of material used, they are delivered in an elegant cork envelope and include a QR code link to their setup video. Our favourite is the Flextop 170 laptop stand.

TOP TIPS VIDEOS

We continue to add to these short videos at the rate of about one more each week so you are definitely missing out if you haven’t looked for a while! Each lasts between 30 and 60 seconds and addresses an issue we come across on a regular basis. Access is free so you can share relevant topic links with colleagues and clients as you see fit. Check the latest list here.

This article was originally emailed as issue 150 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 11/05/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR DSE ASSESSORS

We are working on an exciting one-day event that will take place on 21.06.22 at the fabulous five-storey Orangebox showroom in Clerkenwell, London. Aimed at established DSE Assessors, the morning will explore existing experience, such as the demands of virtual assessments, domestic fire regulations and keeping abreast of the latest products. The afternoon will look at how you can widen your influence and involvement in the broader wellbeing discussion with clients. The event is completely free and includes refreshments and lunch. You just need to bring an open mind (we plan to challenge some of your thinking!). A CPD certificate will be provided. Spaces are limited so register here (without obligation) to be kept informed of developments and ensure a place when booking opens.

HOMEWORKING DONE RIGHT – 3 FREE WEBINARS

Our Training Manager, Stuart Entwistle, has been working on a 3-part series of free webinars, based on our experience of both employer and employee responses to homeworking since the start of the pandemic. The three topics covered are 1) the Employer’s Duty of Care, 2) Homeworking Products and 3) Posture Tips for Home & Office. Find out more and register here.

WORLD FM DAY

Today is World FM Day, an opportunity to recognise the crucial work of Facilities Managers across the globe and remember that they are responsible for so much more than making sure the lights are on and the toilets aren’t blocked! As we address Hybrid Working and Sustainability, FMs are central to the management of where and how people work, whilst minimising impact in the move to Net Zero.

RULA – RAPID UPPER LIMB ASSESSMENT

As we continue to expand our 2022 Knowledge Sharing (more Top Tips videos here), it is worth remembering that there are many free resources we have been offering for years. One of the most established is RULA, the internationally recognised Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool which helps to quantify and prioritise risks. This was refreshed three years ago and provides a much cleaner graphical interface.

IN THE PRESS (AGAIN!)

As mentioned last month, we have been broadening our publication reach beyond blogs and social media and our articles are appearing in a number of general and specialist publications. Once upon a time these would have been newspapers and magazines but now, of course, they are mostly online. Here is a piece in Facilities Management Journal. We have four more items appearing in the next month.

This article was originally emailed as issue 149 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 13/04/2022. You can register here to receive them monthly.

PERSONAL PERFORMANCE

Our friends at Bakker Elkhuizen have just launched an extensive programme of events and information looking at ways employers can enhance the performance of their people. This is done simply by ensuring they can work comfortably and productively wherever they are. We already know that millions of homeworkers have been neglected over the last two years and the Bakker campaign will explore what can be done to enhance wellbeing and reduce musculoskeletal problems. To support this, we have some exciting new products coming very soon! Watch out for more information through all our usual channels or sign up directly for the Bakker Elkhuizen newsletter here.

MORE TOP TIPS

We are now adding at least one video per week to the collection. Feedback suggests people are finding them really useful. For some topics, we are going right back to basics with questions like ‘Do I need a footrest?’ and ‘Why use a vertical mouse?’ but every one addresses a common question or misunderstanding that we encounter on a regular basis. View the latest selection here.

SMALLEST ROOM PORTFOLIO

Many thanks to those of you who appreciated and commented on this year’s April Fools’ Day article. If you haven’t yet seen it, a quick read on LinkedIn will also help to make it our most viewed article ever! We felt that some light relief from the woes of the world would be in order and it’s pleasing to see that so many people agree. If you would like to see some of our AFD articles from previous years, you can find them here.

IN THE PRESS

Since the start of the year, we have been spreading the word about worker wellbeing beyond our trade and professional communities. We have learned that what we take for granted – things we think are blindingly obvious – are anything but obvious to lots of people. This is the rationale behind some of our very basic video tips but also some of the blogs and articles we have been sharing with the wider press. This piece caught the attention of the Bournemouth Echo. I expect to disclose the publication of one or two more pieces in next month’s eBulletin.

PRIZE WINNERS

We have been handing out little bundles of health and wellbeing again this month. Our bimonthly voucher prize of £180 was won by a customer in London and our most recent B2B Expo draw was won by John Mullally of Cartwright. If you have bought from us or recommended our products and services in the past, you can enter the bimonthly draw by answering a brief survey here.

This article was originally emailed as an April Fools Day version of our monthly eBulletin at 10.00 on 01/04/2022. You can register here to receive the usual version monthly.

TOPICAL NEWS FROM OSMOND ERGONOMICS

Following extensive research into homeworker needs and habits, we are delighted to launch our new Smallest Room Product Portfolio, curated specifically and exclusively for homeworkers with no designated room to work in.

We know that Leesman Index and others have found that a separate room is key to healthy, productive homeworking and our new portfolio unlocks that ‘spare’ room you had all along!

The carefully chosen products enable homeworkers to configure their smallest room and address all these issues:

• We know that a high proportion of homeworkers are desperately short of space to work.
• For house-sharers and those with young families, it provides a concentration/contemplation space that is, quite literally, locked away from domestic distractions.
• For real estate managers, it maximises utilisation of under-occupied space.
  For facilities managers, it optimises the use of existing seating and negates the need to purchase an extra chair.
• It recognises that the most productive and happy homeworkers are those who can close the door on their home office at the end of the day.
• It introduces an unprecedented and innovative approach to worker ergonomics.
• Finally, it is a timely, cost-effective and, above all, universal solution – everybody has a Smallest Room!

Coming soon: Our battery-operated, Bluetooth-enabled NudgeFlush^TM device will sit inside your cistern. It links to a range of sit-stand-move apps and actuates the flush at pre-determined intervals to prompt regular movement.

For further information, Contact our Bogonomics team!