< Previous30 Business Link www.blmforum.net PHARMACEUTICALS SPOTLIGHT research consortium, where the genome sequences are accessible on a public database used by researchers and scientists working on solutions to the Coronavirus outbreak worldwide. Also in Sheffield, a drug that could potential help treat COVID-19 is being tested. Remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead, has previously been studied in healthy volunteers and in people with the Ebola virus. Two studies will take place at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Moreover, researchers from the University of York’s York Structural Biology Laboratory have produced a protein which stores and protects the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, helping open up the road to possible antiviral therapies. The researchers have purified the virus’s nucleocapsid protein and begun characterising it. This is the most abundant viral protein, which safeguards its genetic material - known as RNA. The team are working with the cryo-electron microscopy laboratory at the University of Leeds to determine an accurate three- dimensional structure of the protein, to inform mechanistic understanding and drug development. The scientists have provided the protein, and the system they use to make it, to other labs, at Sheffield, Oxford, and London, to assist in development of antibody tests for COVID-19. Coronavirus has also stimulated innovation in how patients are interacted with by healthcare professionals. Medical robots and robotic medicine carts with cameras, screens and medical equipment are being used in quarantined areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with robots being used to check temperature, transport medical samples and offer hand sanitiser. Concurrently telemedicine has skyrocketed in the UK as people are being asked to avoid visiting doctors to reduce transmission risk and the strain on the healthcare sector. Video consultation platforms have thus been vital in the COVID-19 outbreak, in reducing the number of patients visiting surgeries and managing those who potentially have Coronavirus, enabling them to be monitored remotely. This digital approach to healthcare reflects a slow shift in the pharmaceutical industry, already taking place prior to the outbreak, in which companies have been transforming business models to attach digital health technologies to treatments to go ‘beyond the pill’ and add value - instead of purchasing a pill, one would buy an entire solution. Helping prevent, treat and manage medical conditions, digital therapies are augmenting, and even replacing, drugs in treatment. Smartphone apps and wearable monitoring devices are changing the landscape for production of new medicines. New data sharing processes are key for pharma companies here, with digital therapeutics set to offer real-time consumer insights and, for doctors, new tools to manage patient health, with the transmit of data allowing for additional visibility in care, creating new ways to improve treatment outcomes, and offering easier feedback access from doctors via apps. An IQVIA analysis indicates that if the NHS used clinically validated digital health apps for diabetes, asthma, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation (patient populations with reduced use of acute care services), it could save £170 million a year and improve health outcomes. Digital health apps are bridging the gap between consumers and companies, and are opening the potential for treatments to be better customised, mirroring a current trend of patient centrism. © Shutterstock /LeoWolfert 28-30.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:53 Page 3© Shutterstock /Bannasak Krodkeaw www.blmforum.net Business Link 31 HEALTH AND SAFETY I t can be tough to keep on top of the rapid changes in health and safety regulation, but if one does not the costs can be high. The repercussions can be in the form of a fine, imprisonment or, more seriously, injuries and fatalities. PPE is key in helping prevent workplace injuries and health or safety risks, and employers have a duty to provide it. Its use is particularly important in the construction, chemical, medical and food industries. Even if systems have been put in place to prevent, for instance, machinery injuries, other less obvious hazards remain, for instance contaminated air resulting in lung harm or corrosive materials or liquids causing skin damage. PPE is therefore vital in work environments with physical risks that cannot be avoided by usual means. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE), PPE is a last resort to protect employees from workplace hazards. Regulation notes that equipment must be provided free to workers, and chosen carefully in accordance with what is needed. To do this, as an employer providing PPE, you also have the responsibility of checking with your supplier what attire is appropriate, whether it be safety PPE keeping workers safe Personal protective equipment (PPE) is important in ensuring that your employees are safe in the workplace, but it is important to understand what exactly you need, the legislation that exists, and the new regulations that have come into place. 32 Á 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:54 Page 132 Business Link www.blmforum.net HEALTH AND SAFETY © Shutterstock /Blue Planet Studio 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:54 Page 2www.blmforum.net Business Link 33 HEALTH AND SAFETY spectacles, helmets, earmuffs, gloves or respiratory equipment. When choosing PPE products, one should consider the hazards in that particular workplace – are you working with chemicals, is there chance of cuts or perhaps electric shocks – there are numerous items that one may need to consider providing, and importantly the HSE says that you should choose products that are CE marked. The HSE also advises having the employee using the equipment help choose it so they are more likely to wear it and so it is a suitable size, fit, and weight. As an example, if staff are using a chainsaw one will need to provide a safety helmet, hearing protection, eye protection, gloves, leg protection and boots. Employers also have the responsibility, alongside their staff, to make sure that it is understood what PPE items can be worn in conjunction safely. Though it may seem obvious, employers and employees, including managers not likely to use it, in accordance with regulation must be trained how to use their equipment and know why and where to use it. Employers have a responsibility to make sure staff are using PPE correctly or could face legal trouble in the event of an accident. It is also the responsibility of the PPE provider to make sure you are taught how to use the equipment. A useful piece of advice is using safety signs are said to remind staff where PPE should be used. Further, employers are considered responsible for making sure PPE is stored and maintained correctly. Regulation changes in recent years have drastically impacted PPE. The latest regulation does not particularly affect the staff using PPE, rather the duties of the equipment’s suppliers, distributors and producers, to include those previously unaffected by regulation, such as importers who are now being held accountable for the PPE’s quality. Ultimately, more people in the chain of PPE are being held responsible for the equipment doing what it should, not just the creator and user. If one is a manufacturer or distributor of PPE one must become more stringent in checking PPE. PPE protecting from high risk incidents now have a more rigid compliance procedure, and a declaration of conformity must be provided with the equipment, or online, as evidence that it meets regulation. This documentation must be held by the supplier for at least 10 years once it is up for sale. Instructions must be also provided, labelling requirements met, the manufacturers name and address must feature on the product, and sample tests must be conducted. All of these regulations are in place to make sure the equipment is of a high enough standard for users, benefitting businesses and employees, as one can be more confident that the PPE is fit for its purpose, and will be effective at preventing injury. It is important to know these changes even if you are not the manufacturer or distributer as employers need to be able to identify that their PPE meets regulation. In addition, it is important to mention that the new PPE regulation makes changes to how certain pieces of equipment are classified in their risk categorisation, so that they are considered a product protecting from a serious injury. For example, hearing protection has moved from PPE Category II to Category III. This means it is now considered more important to protect staff’s hearing. This likely comes as a result of the 20,000 employees in the last 4 years suffering hearing problems as a result of their work. Employees providing PPE for hearing must also now check their providers certification and ask about the manufacturing process to ensure it is suitable. Category III items like this must be manufactured in a quality management system which will be assessed annually. 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:54 Page 334 Business Link www.blmforum.net RELOCATION AND INWARD INVESTMENT Moving on Relocating brings with it many benefits for business and leads to investment in our region, as we explore. 34-36.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:56 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 35 RELOCATION AND INWARD INVESTMENT © Shutterstock sirtravelalot A change of setting has been compared to hitting the corporate refresh button, or as a means of kick-starting a new chapter in a company’s journey. It also offers immense expansion opportunities, as a business spreads out in and around its town or city setting, or as a means of establishing new national offices. As the expectation and responsibility of businesses shift, as organisations seek to reduce their carbon emissions, relocation can mean moving to more environmentally- friendly and cost-effective premises. Relocation comes with no scarcity of advantages, one of which involves businesses becoming more immersed with others, leading to an altogether more collaborative corporate backdrop to our cities. Business parks are a great example of this idea in action, as businesses sharing the same space, depend on some of the same resources, whilst also retaining their independence. Although our region is home to a plethora of business parks, each housing a variety of companies, specialised parks are fast becoming the norm. Prospective clients know well in advance the sort of businesses they’ll potentially be sharing the next few years (or more) with. This creates a culture of shared vision – an innovation engine that can prove crucial to each business’s future. Future acquisitions, deals and partnerships could very well hinge on these relations. From a logistical standpoint, business parks are typically developed with transport in mind, and are strategically located near to motorway exists and ideally positioned within reach of city links. These locations might then offer a more valuable position that can’t otherwise be achieved elsewhere. 36 Á 34-36.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:56 Page 236 Business Link www.blmforum.net RELOCATION AND INWARD INVESTMENT For some, a relocation move is part of a business’s ongoing expansion plans, which have often been charted out years in advanced. In such circumstances, a company might opt for a purpose-built development, one which corresponds to its exact specifications and requirements, over what it might find elsewhere on the commercial property market. A move of this scale might be motivated by necessity, in that a company has outgrown its existing facilities, or as a strategic expansion plan as it gears up for future growth. It can also pull all of a company’s resources into one site, such as warehousing, meeting rooms or a showroom, streamlining its operations to run that much more efficiently. This provides as much a benefit to the business itself as to its customers, both existing and perspective, who might see having to travel to multiple sites as a major disadvantage. Many businesses are using the opportunities afforded by purpose-built developments to instigate more environmentally friendly operations. A company’s operations will undoubtedly be responsible for its biggest carbon emissions, but its premises and facilities will come in a close second. Often these two are intertwined, so creating a greener premise will have a significant impact on its day to day operations. This can include anything from using recycled or carbon friendly materials in the new build, or incorporating renewables into its energy mix. In terms of cost and deployment, solar panels make a worthwhile investment for businesses, whether for a new development or as an addition to an existing site. Wind turbines, on the other hand, are wholly dependent on space. Several of the business parks in our region are adopting a wind turbine as both a draw to new tenants and as a means of lowering its cost while boosting its green credentials. Purpose-built developments, however, are costly endeavours and usually require financial support of one kind or another. Many of the funding streams in our region are dependent on whether or not the development would offer a strategic benefit to the local economy, both in terms of jobs and bringing trade to the area. As part of an expansion move, say, new jobs will of course be brought to the area, as well as providing work in the short term for construction firms. During a company’s lifetime, relocation can present one of the most significant and defining moves. For a company seeking to reinvigorate its identity, plough ahead with expansion plans or seek to make its operations that much more environmentally-friendly or efficient, moving premises is the start of the next chapter. And as companies move into our region, it brings with it an influx of investment, signalling that Yorkshire and Lincolnshire is open for business. © Shutterstock /LightField Studios 34-36.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:56 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 37 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT A s global warming takes hold of the globe and millions are displaced by fires and floods, the UK must step up its response to the climate emergency. Last June the government became the first major economy to pass laws to end its contribution to climate change by 2050, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero. Our region is making its own commitments, with the Humber, which hosts the highest industrial CO2 emissions in the UK, aiming to become net-zero carbon by 2040, and the Leeds City Region looking to become net-zero carbon by 2038. The UK’s engagement with energy is key in achieving this and continues to evolve. A transition to renewables is clear, from investment in offshore wind farms to a focus on hydrogen as a clean energy source, and a wider range of energy options are coming to the forefront as businesses and the public look to gain better value for money and become more interested in how their energy is generated. For seven consecutive years, the UK has cut carbon, and in 2019, the country’s carbon emissions fell to levels that were last seen in 1888. The results of a recent study show that the UK’s transition to renewables has helped drive a faster rate of decarbonisation over the last decade than anywhere else in the world. Additionally, Britain has this year set a new record for its most consecutive days without coal-fired power generation as well as a new solar power record. To meet ambitions however, action must be taken to build focus on carbon capture, offshore wind, energy storage, smart microgrids, hydrogen, and nuclear options. A committed region Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are committing to cleaner energy, waste and environment practices. Recent developments have seen the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility in Leeds start delivering low carbon heat. The facility is designed to recover recyclable materials from black bag waste and use what is left to generate low carbon heat and hot water through the new district heating network, and electricity for the local grid. It will initially supply heat for 1,983 council homes and enough electricity for 22,000 homes. Moreover, in April the government awarded £96,000 to the Humber LEP and CATCH to create the Humber Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap – which will set out plans to decarbonise the region’s major industries through measures such as Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage and hydrogen fuel switching. Stepping up to the climate emergency © Shutterstock /Olivier Le Moal 38 Á With the climate emergency and UK goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, businesses must play their part in minimising their carbon footprints. 37-39.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:58 Page 138 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Further, the University of Hull is developing a next generation energy station. The concept will see multiple renewable fuel inputs, including industry and household waste, earth and water, solar and hydro power, wind and biofuels, feed into local community stations, where they will be converted to energy and distributed across the region. The University notes that integrating and converting multiple energy sources with significantly enhanced conversion ratios will maximise the energy efficiency and reduce energy waste. A new £22 million fusion energy research facility in Rotherham meanwhile will work with research and industry partners to put the UK in a strong position to commercialise nuclear fusion as a major source of low- carbon electricity in the years ahead. Businesses look to improve their carbon footprint While our region hosts forward-thinking research, policy and facilities, with the climate emergency and net-zero goals in mind, businesses in all sectors will need to play their part to operate more sustainably, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to not just help achieve government aims but improve their bottom line. Mitigating a business’s carbon footprint is beneficial on numerous levels. Of course one helps the environment, but making this commitment can also increase sales from conscious consumers, see one win business from those seeking suppliers that will improve the carbon emissions across their supply chain, attract talent and retain employees, reduce energy costs and those associated with the cost of complying with regulation. A HSBC report illustrates the environmental priorities of UK businesses, with almost half of 2,500 organisations surveyed planning to increase environment related spending by 2021, with sixty-nine per cent looking to make manufacturing more sustainable, sixty-six per cent investing in improving internal practices and sixty-three per cent updating equipment and buildings. Meanwhile a global survey from Nielson indicates that eighty-one per cent of consumers feel companies should actively work to improve the environment. There are many changes businesses can implement to address their carbon footprint - the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced directly and indirectly in operating a business - which will of course vary based on your sector, service or product. A manufacturer and accountant will certainly have different priorities. However effective energy management applies across all industries. This includes procurement, use and monitoring to uncover how energy should be managed. A strategy integrated into your CSR policy and taken on board by senior management should be compiled, detailing how exactly a business plans to reduce energy emissions and take into account regulation. Frequent energy management reviews should also be undertaken to remain on track. Perhaps the most obvious way of improving a business’s carbon footprint is to switch to a renewable energy provider, especially now that green energy such as wind and solar have declined in price. Alternatively just switching to a cleaner energy supplier is a good start. Comparison websites are useful tools here, facilitating the exploration of options and tariff comparison to discover the perfect provider and best deal. Firms might also consider investing in onsite energy generation and battery storage. One of the simplest ways to minimise your footprint and save money though is to reduce energy consumption. Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng suggests that if business energy use falls by twenty per cent by 2030 UK businesses could save as much as £6 billion and stop twenty- two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere. Switch off what is not in use and invest in efficient technology. Changing to LED lighting, and using motion sensors to automatically turn lights off, as well as switching off appliances, laptops and monitors rather than leaving them on standby can make a huge difference here, and simultaneously reduce energy costs. Just leaving a photocopier on overnight uses energy equivalent to making 5,000 copies. A report from the Green Alliance highlights that UK businesses are wasting £60 million in unnecessary energy bills. To keep track of energy use, digital technology such as smart sensors and algorithms can be used across buildings, and AI energy optimisation systems, according to the Green Alliance, could slash commercial building energy use by fourteen per cent and generate payback within a few months. Sophisticated smart meter reading will allow active management of energy and enable forecasting. In addition, when moving offices businesses should look out for a building’s energy performance ratings. 37-39.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:58 Page 2www.blmforum.net Business Link 39 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Fortunately, new buildings are primarily being built to high energy efficiency standards and older buildings are being transformed to attract businesses looking to lower their carbon footprint. Minimising waste, recycling and avoiding landfill as far as possible are also essential to reduce harmful greenhouse gases. Begin by tracing sources of waste and address bad practices like over and unnecessary use of paper. Buy recycled paper, and print and photocopy as little as possible, instead digitising documentation as far as feasible, allowing for online contract signing for instance, and using cloud computing, which also adds convenience in enabling access from various devices from any place at any time. Eradicating emissions from transport within businesses is another aspect to consider, especially where companies dealing in logistics are concerned. Installing a telematics system on a fleet will provide a wealth of data to be used to make fleets more efficient. One might also look to train drivers in ecodriving to save fuel, or invest in fuel efficient vehicles, those powered by alternative fuels or electric vehicles which are usefully exempt from clean air zone charges. There are grants available to subsidise the cost of new low emission vehicles. A variety of funding and support options are available to assist businesses in reducing their carbon emissions, for example most recently Leeds City Region LEP secured further funding for the new REBiz programme, succeeding the Resource Efficiency Fund, which provides advice and funding to SMEs to reduce their energy, carbon, water and waste consumption and ultimately save money on their energy bills. Support includes a free resource or energy efficiency audit worth up to £1,200, forty per cent funding towards capital investment projects to a maximum £40,000 grant, and free circular economy consultancy of up to 30 days intensive support. © Shutterstock /TebNad 37-39.qxp_Layout 1 06/05/2020 09:58 Page 3Next >