< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.net OFFICE SOLUTIONS While the pandemic stimulated a rapid switch to homeworking, the past year has given rise to a debate over the future of offices. Whether businesses are considering downsizing, moving out of cities, or even closing offices, now that we have the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, the return of staff to these workplaces across the region is on the horizon. One thing is clear, employees will not, or certainly should not, be coming back to an identical environment. Further, though 2020 may have shown an office is not a requirement for effective working, the social aspect of work, collaborative environment and sense of community has been sorely missed. At the most basic level, offices must be adjusted in light of the pandemic to be safe, and a deep clean performed, but if one is to entice workers back, make them comfortable enough to return, offices also need to be compelling. After the flexibility workers have experienced at home, to move their workspace around, shift schedules, even get out in the garden, offices will have to be able to offer a desirable environment and be somewhere staff actually want to be. The days of row after row of desks is being left behind in favour of agile and flexible offices with spaces that are designed to enable people to flourish and collaborate, as “free-range” human beings rather than “battery-chicken” employees. Get ready, get set… Where some staff will be raring to re-enter the office, others may well be nervous. Either way they need to be reassured that it is fit for purpose and is being maintained to high standards. Employees will be looking for more from their employers, as The People-First Office Fit Out Guide for 2021 from Blueprint Interiors notes, with greater flexibility expected, and tools facilitating teamwork and innovation will be more valued than ever. “People are much more aware of the things they need in order to be productive and happy,” the guide states. “And they’ll also want these things to be provided for them in their workplace environment.” With this, employers and HR teams must cater for staff as they prepare for the return of their people. If not, businesses With the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, businesses will soon be bringing staff back to offices. When doing this a variety of factors must be considered, to ensure employees feel not only comfortable but incentivised to return. Preparing to return 22 Á Preparing to return 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:05 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 21 OFFICE SOLUTIONS © Shutterstock /ImageFlow 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:05 Page 2OFFICE SOLUTIONS 22 Business Link www.blmforum.net © Shutterstock /PhotoMavenStock will risk losing their talent to companies that can fulfil these needs. Wellbeing and human-centric design will be vital moving forward now employers have been reminded of the value of their people and the importance of their physical and mental health and wellbeing for the productivity of the business. Responding to this, offices are being designed with COVID-secure measures in mind, with layout being reconsidered, social distancing and flow management being built in, as well as sanitiser stations, screens, and PPE provisions, to protect staff and give them peace of mind. Cleaning arrangements should also be reviewed, implementing for example daily wipe downs of phones, keyboards, et al. with anti-viral cleaner, and touch free technology will become key alongside sensor-based lights and foot pedals for hand sanitiser and doors, and keyless entry to replace touchpoints. Meanwhile, with a desire for better work environments other wellbeing design factors to be considered include cleaner air - with good ventilation, the risk of spreading COVID-19 is reduced, with fresh air or mechanical systems preferable - enhanced natural light, natural stress reducing elements like plants (which also improve air quality), showers and changing facilities for those that cycle to work, and designated © Shutterstock /Southworks 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:05 Page 3OFFICE SOLUTIONS www.blmforum.net Business Link 23 relaxation areas. Moreover, workplaces need to be agile and adaptable, allowing people to work how is best for them and provide the resources for this. This might involve activity-based communal spaces styled with furniture and technology that can be moved and adjusted based on purpose, and that cannot be replicated in remote working. Providing a variety of different spaces/work environments - whether separated clearly by walls, partitions, colour choices or furniture - is also important, from enhanced informal break-out spaces for collaboration and brainstorming, to cafes for downtime, and private areas for reflection and focus. Better video conferencing set ups are also going to be essential going forwards as remote and in person working mix. Though many will be looking to risk assessments and general health and safety protocols as they get ready to reopen offices, this is really the minimum acceptable. To give staff true peace of mind that the office is properly prepared there are new standards that can be achieved. The WELL Building Standard’s Health-Safety Rating, informed by over 600 experts from the Task Force on COVID-19, for instance provides accreditation that the workplace has been adapted to higher standards, indicating that everything one can reasonably do has been done, exceeding health and safety requirements. The rating, which offers advice on operational interventions that can be made to inhibit the spread of coronavirus, focuses on five areas: cleaning and sanitisation procedures, health service resources, emergency preparedness programs, air and water quality management, stakeholder engagement and communication. With changing priorities businesses must adjust their offices to create workplaces promoting productivity and wellbeing, spaces that meet fundamental human as well as job-based needs, and employers should ensure they understand what these are ahead of any transformation plans, offering opportunities for staff to raise concerns and opinions. The office must illustrate its worth to employees. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:05 Page 424 Business Link www.blmforum.net PORTS Power to the 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:09 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 PORTS Stretching from Goole to Grimsby, the Humber estuary is crucial to the nation’s economy and its trading relations with Europe, Scandinavia and, increasingly, beyond. The key Humber ports – Hull, Goole, Grimsby and Immingham – are owned by Associated British Ports (ABP), the nation’s biggest port operator, and contribute £2.2 billion to the UK economy every year. Combined, these four ports support 33,000 jobs and handle more than sixty-five million tonnes of cargo. © Shutterstock /Lukassek Having been granted freeport status, the Humber will play an increasingly critical role to the region’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis and in international trade post-Brexit. Of the four, Immingham remains the UK’s largest port by tonnage, handling some fifty-five million tonnes. All manner of shipments are handled and processed by the port and, thanks to its ideal location, it’s key to the operation of oil refineries, supporting thirty per cent of the UK’s fuel. As well as supporting and serving the renewable energy industry along the east coast, this quartet of ports handles a myriad of other important goods, shipping metals, liquid bulks, dry 26 Á 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:09 Page 226 Business Link www.blmforum.net PORTS bulks, containers, forest products, general cargo and food & drink. Now, the critical role the Humber plays in Britain’s domestic and international trade has been formally recognised by government after it was among eight ports in the UK to be granted freeport status in the March budget. The move is expected to bring thousands of jobs to the region, providing a timely jolt to the regional economy as we continue to transition out of lockdown towards economic recovery. “We are delighted to learn that the Humber and the Solent-Southampton have been successful in their bids for © Shutterstock /Arild Lilleboe 28 Á Humber hailed as golden opportunity to lead world’s zero carbon drive The Humber has been hailed as a golden opportunity to lead the world in the drive to a zero carbon economy. Roger Marsh, Chair of the influential NP11 collaboration of all the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across the North of England, has outlined his vision for the Humber to be a global decarbonisation pioneer. He said the region had the “assets, ambition, willpower and strategy” to play a crucial role in responding to the climate emergency while also driving forward the post-COVID economic recovery. “The Humber has acknowledged strengths and further potential in energy production and industrial processes, including chemical refinery, clean energy, hydrogen production and carbon capture,” he said. “It also trades with the world through its ports at Immingham, Goole, Hull and Grimsby. Together, these factors mean it is a region primed to position itself at the forefront of the global transition to a zero carbon economic model. “It is clear the decarbonisation drive taking place in the Humber can set a precedent for the rest of the UK and the world to follow.” Roger Marsh 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:09 Page 3ISO/IEC 17020 / ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / OHSAS 18001 For all enquiries please TELEPHONE: 01469 575728 | Email: ukinfo@irisndt.com www.irisndt.co.uk CHATHAM | DERBY | ELLESMERE PORT | HULL | IMMINGHAM PEMBROKE DOCK | STOCKTON-ON-TEES ADVANCED NDT • Remote Robotic Inspections – Visual & UT • Drone Surveys – Internal and External • Laser Scanning • Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing • Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) • AUT & PAUT Corrosion Mapping • Tube Inspection (IRIS, ECT, RFT, NFA) • Guided Wave Testing – Long Range UT • QSR1 – Corrosion Under Pipe Supports • MFL – Tank Floors and Pipelines • HTHA Inspections (TOFD, TFM, PAUT & TULA) CONVENTIONAL NDT • X-Radiography & Gamma Radiography • Computed and Digital Radiography • Close Proximity Radiography • Ultrasonic Inspection • Magnetic Particle Inspection • Dye Penetrant Inspection • Eddy Current & Eddy Current Array • Positive Material Identification (PMI) • Hardness Testing • Ferrite Testing • ACFM Inspection • Vacuum Box Testing INSPECTION AND TESTING SERVICES IRISNDT is a leading provider of Asset Integrity Engineering, Non- Destructive Testing, Heat Treatment and Laboratory services. This is achieved through investment in training local personnel, continuous development of our facilities and refreshing our equipment to offer the latest in technology and innovations. This is supported by a strong commitment to safety, quality, and the environment. IRISNDT are closely supported by our colleagues in Canada, the USA and Australia. ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Rope Access • Heat Treatment • Pressure Testing • Welding Inspection • Materials Laboratory (ISO 17025) • Welder Training • Failure Investigations ASSET INTEGRITY ENGINEERING • Pressure System Inspections • Storage Tank Inspections • Pipeline Inspections • Out of Service and In-Service Inspections • Category 1, 2 & 3 Inspectors • Written Schemes of Examination (WSE’s) • Fitness for Service (FFS) Assessments • Engineering Calculations • Maxi-Trak Field Services (Customized Software) • Bund Surveys 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:09 Page 428 Business Link www.blmforum.net PORTS Freeport status. We were lead partners for both, and they are well placed to deliver on the Government’s agenda to level up and de-carbonise the economy,” said Henrik L. Pedersen, ABP Chief Executive Officer. “The Humber Freeport will lead the way in de-carbonising the UK’s economy through carbon capture and storage and alternative fuels, and the Solent-Southampton Freeport will catalyse an innovation revolution in maritime and green growth.” Simon Bird, ABP Humber Director and Chair of the Humber Freeport Steerco, hopes the freeport will be up and running before the year is over and bringing in new jobs from 2022. “Over the coming months we will be focusing on delivery to create the new freeport, which we expect to bring in major investment to our part of the world and will lead to over 7,000 new jobs for the Humber,” he said. The Freeports policy presents an opportunity to grow UK trade and exports by attracting further investment in the UK’s ports sector, helping to create jobs and boost manufacturing in port locations. Simply put, they are special economic zones with different rules to make it easier and cheaper to do business. They include infrastructure planning, customs and favourable duties and taxes. Three types of sites can be developed with these special areas: customs, tax and seed capital. The first two are intended to attract vital new businesses to the area, whilst also encouraging those already based in the region to invest in everything from equipment and machinery to people in order to provide them with a competitive edge over rivals by slashing tariffs. The three tax zones within the Humber freeport boundary also includes the Able Marine Energy Park (AMEP) site in north Lincolnshire. The park will also benefit from the £75 million funding announced by the Chancellor via the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme. The total investment for the park is believed to be around £500 million and, ultimately, will employ 1,600 people. It will provide almost a mile of new deep-water quarter alongside a 500-acre development site encompassing an integrated offshore wind manufacturing cluster and bespoke port facility. The freeport status of the Humber will also benefit one of the most important engineering institutions in our region – British Steel. The future of the historic business was secured in 2020 after it was officially acquired by Chinese steel giant, Jingye Group. Now, freeport status will provide it with greater security at its Scunthorpe site. The business will be allocated a special customers site which, according to North Lincolnshire Council, will create the conditions to develop greater competitive edge in global markets by reducing talents. As our region and the wider economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, and continues to acclimate to new trading rules post- Brexit, our ports will prove more vital than ever. © Shutterstock /Peter Y eo 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:10 Page 5www.blmforum.net Business Link 29 PORTS We have helped businesses in areas such as: • Business planning and financial forecast creation • Improving efficiencies within the business • Access to match funding grants • Marketing strategies • HR advice, workforce planning, reviewing contracts and GDPR. DO YOU WANT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? If you are a small to medium sized business in ports, logistics or renewables, or providing a service to these sectors, you could be eligible for fully funded business support. Modal Training Centre, Middleplatt Rd, Immingham, DN40 1FN Find out how we can help your business, all at no cost to you. 01469 428449 | GAINSupport@modaltraining.co.uk Funded diagnostics consultancy for logistics, ports & renewables sector with GAIN Are you a small or medium-sized logistics business, a supplier to ports sector, or a renewable business who would like to expand, but lack the resources to do so? GAIN can help you on the road to successful growth. Based at MODAL Training Centre in Immingham, GAIN provide funded diagnostics and consultancy for the logistics, ports and renewables sector, helping you in areas such as marketing and the development of new ideas, products and services. Its experienced business support team can also help improve your processes and boost your bottom line. If you operate a small to medium-sized business, you can now access funded, confidential and impartial support which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). To get started, you will just need to book an initial consultation to ensure you meet the criteria for funded support. Other than this time, there is no further cost to you. Find out more by visit www.gainingadvantage.com. 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 01/04/2021 14:10 Page 6Next >