Osmond Ergonomics

This article was originally emailed as issue 178 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 11/09/2024. You can register here to receive them monthly.

NEW ERGONOMICS WEBSITE

It’s here! After lots of research, false-starts, conflicting apps and general frustrations, I can tell you that I am genuinely ecstatic that our new website is now actually live! You will see a cleaner design, more intuitive shop, better filtering and a VAT inclusive/exclusive feature that actually works consistently! There is more to do and we have further developments and features in the pipeline but let’s not waste time telling you about it: take a look for yourself at www.ergonomics.co.uk. (N.B. If the site looks the same, you may need to clear the cache memory of your computer).

OUR FIRST OIWS EVENT

Following the successful launch of our new Osmond Inclusive Wellbeing Services division, our first face-to-face (and free) event is now scheduled for London on Tuesday October 22nd. I shall be joined by Jim Taylour, Rosie Russell and Kirsty Angerer to discuss Turning EDI strategy into effective Wellbeing action. Click here for details and the registration form.

WEEKLY TOP TIPS FOR DSE ASSESSORS

A few weeks ago, we started sending a weekly Top Tip email to all the delegates who have completed our DSE Assessor training course. Each email includes a useful resource, such as a video, downloadable pdf or web link and arrives at 10:45 on a Thursday morning. This has been so well received that we have decided to share it more widely. If you are a DSE Assessor (or interested in DSE assessments), sign up by simply emailing our Training Manager, Stuart Entwistle, providing your contact details.

PRODUCT RADAR REBOOT

While all these new activities have been emerging, we have also decided to rekindle our Product Radar emails. We have neglected these for several months, mainly due to workload pressures. They don’t go out at a particular time: just every time we have a product we think you should know about. The simple message is ‘Is this product on your radar?’. You can see the archive here. To join the mailing list, complete your details and choose the Product Radar dropdown here.

ACCESS TO WORK SCHEME

There’s a lot of rekindling going on this month! Following conversations with the prime contractors, and alongside various discussions about neurodiversity, wellbeing and mental health, we have also rekindled our involvement in the Access to Work scheme. As a result, we are now quoting for and supplying our full range of products and services, including Salus, our new office / homeworker chair, to meet the ‘sub-£500’ criteria. Contact Kevin Webb, our National Sales Manager, for further information.

This article was originally emailed as issue 177 of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 12/08/2024. You can register here to receive them monthly.

TEN PODCASTS!

August saw the release of our tenth monthly podcast with Workplace Experience Designer, Will Easton. This was yet another inspiring conversation and I just love them: it’s a joy to talk to people who are experts in their field about subjects they know and love. It seems our growing listenership agrees! For Episode 11 (released at 6:30am on September 2nd), producer Graham Coath and I will be reviewing the first ten conversations and highlighting some of the key topics. There will also be a chance to win some ‘merch’! Watch this space for more details.

INCLUSIVE WELLBEING SERVICES

Our new division is up and running after our soft launch at the end of last month. Expect to see and hear much more about this as our client base grows. If you are involved in the development or delivery of your corporate EDI programme, take a look at our new website here but, if you are in an Occupational Health or Health & Safety role, you will probably be more interested in our range of services brochure here.

QUALITY & ENVIRONMENT

We have just had our latest ISO9001/ISO14001 audit with zero non-conformities. We have held this certification since 2007 and, in 17 years, our audits have never identified more than one minor non-conformity. Our IMS (Integrated Management System) is central to the consistent delivery of high-quality products and services and we take pride in the recognition this certificate confers.

NEW WEBSITE – SOON!

We have been working on a new platform for ergonomics.co.uk for many months. We set some demanding objectives when we started the redesign and progress has been slower than we planned. However, it will be launched before the next eBulletin with more intuitive layouts, clearer information and a slicker shop. All previous functions will be retained and enhanced features will be added. Watch out for the new look!

ULTRABOARD 950 SPECIAL OFFER

For a limited period, we are offering the wireless version of this compact Bakker Elkhuizen keyboard at a special 31% discount. This model pairs with up to 5 Bluetooth devices, making it the ideal interface for your laptop, tablet or mobile. It is lightweight and portable and, having no numeric keypad, its compact size reduces the shoulder load for right-handed mouse users. More details here.

This article was originally emailed as issue 176b of our monthly eBulletin at 11:30 on 12/07/2024. You can register here to receive them monthly.

MEETING YOUR EDI NEEDS

We are delighted to announce the official launch of Osmond Inclusive Wellbeing Services, the result of extensive research into corporate wellbeing and EDI programmes.

We have been examining neurodiversity, menopause, sleep deprivation, vision and hearing impairment to identify everything we need to expand our proven legacy offering into a truly holistic package. After more than a year of planning, Osmond IWS has new services, personnel, and partners, all of which are dovetailed with the same quality, care, integrity, and commitment you already know and recognise. Importantly, our existing Customer Service team will remain the central point of contact for both new and existing requirements.

In the paragraphs below, I have provided information about where to find out more, but if you have a burning need right now, call 0345 345 0898!

Equally, if neurodiversity, vision and hearing impairment, menopause or sleep deprivation are not part of your brief, please forward this email to any colleague(s) you think would be interested.

OIWS WEBSITE

Our new website at www.oiws.co.uk looks at Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) in a corporate context, illustrating the benefits of a diverse workforce and investing in wellbeing. It lays out ways we can help and the processes we use.

INSIGHT PACK

Employers are getting to grips with EDI and this is the context for our Insight Pack. It outlines what brought us to this point, provides examples of successful EDI integration and provides some data about the return on investment in wellbeing programmes. You can request the Insight Pack here..

OIWS BROCHURE

The brochure illustrates all the different services we offer. Our portfolio comes from extensive research into what is already offered and what is in demand. You can access it directly here.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE EBULLETIN?

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!