< Previous30 Business Link www.blmforum.net PORTS AND LOGISTICS significant quantity of warehouse space throughout the UK. Investors continue to focus on the logistics sector and aligned to occupier requirements, are really driving the ESG agenda leading to some exciting new, best-in-class schemes in our region.” Plans for a number of new logistics developments have been revealed for the region, as other projects get underway. For example industrial real estate developer Panattoni recently submitted a planning application for one of the largest speculative logistics facilities in South Yorkshire. The proposals involve a 417,570 sq ft facility, called Panattoni Doncaster 420, next to Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Panattoni acquired the 18.4-acre site with outline planning consent from Peel L&P in March and will build the facility to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ ratings with sustainability features including electric vehicle charging points and 15% roof lights. Panattoni is aiming for completion in the third quarter of 2023. Dan Burn, development director at Panattoni, said: “This is a superb logistics site with direct access to local, regional and global markets.” Further on in development, planning has been granted for 1.1m sq ft of speculatively built warehouse space in Yorkshire, which is being delivered by joint venture partners Henderson Park and Cole Waterhouse. Konect 62, a 136- acre tri-modal logistics development, was acquired with outline planning consent for 1.4m sq ft of prime logistics accommodation and a reserved matters application for the first phase has now been granted which will bring forward the first 1.1m sq ft of sustainable logistics space, built to BREEAM Excellent standards. At 735,000 sq ft, ‘Big K’ is the largest of four units that will be delivered as part of phase 1. Start of development on the site, which is 24 miles from Leeds city centre, is expected in September 2022. Meanwhile plans have been unveiled for the first 2.26m sq ft phase of Wilton Developments’ Doncaster North industrial and logistics scheme, which will incorporate a 1m sq ft stand-alone distribution building alongside units ranging from 100,000 to 375,000 sq ft. It follows the company receiving outline planning consent from Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to transform 180 acres adjacent to Junction 6 of the M18 at Thorne, Doncaster into a 3.52m sq ft logistics and industrial scheme in January. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s ports and logistics sector are flourishing, with no signs of slowing down. © stock.adobe.com/Aleksei 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:54 Page 5ISO/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 | DEESIDE | 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 •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 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:54 Page 632 Business Link www.blmforum.net HEALTH AND SAFETY A ll employees are entitled to work in environments in which health and safety are properly controlled, as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states. Under health and safety law, the main responsibility for this falls on employers, who have an obligation to consult staff on health and safety matters and do whatever is “reasonably practicable” to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others who may be impacted. Employers must appoint a competent person to help in meeting health and safety legal duties, have a policy for managing health and safety, and assess risks in the workplace, identifying activities that could cause injury or illness, taking action to eliminate the hazard, or controlling the risk where this is not possible. Employers should also give staff information about risks in the workplace and how they are protected, as well as instructing and training them on how to deal with risks, and have a legal duty under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER) to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet. These are the basics. Workers meanwhile hold a duty for taking care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their Investing in mental health 34 Á As work-related mental health issues rise, costing employers £56bn in 2020-21, it is vital that businesses have an effective mental wellbeing strategy in place to support staff. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:55 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 33 HEALTH AND SAFETY © stock.adobe.com/Africa Studio 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:55 Page 234 Business Link www.blmforum.net HEALTH AND SAFETY actions at work, cooperating with employers and co-workers to meet legal requirements. Today, what needs to be considered to ensure the health and safety of workers casts a wide net. Once the focus was primarily on physical hazards and injuries, but now one must also bear in mind aspects such as mental health, a leading cause of sickness absence which has gained additional attention during the pandemic and thanks to the rise in hybrid working. In the 2020/21 period 1.7 million workers suffered from a work- related illness, around half of which were stress, depression or anxiety, according to the HSE. With research from Deloitte showing the cost to employers of poor mental health has increased, to up to £56bn in 2020-21 compared to £45bn in 2019, with the uptick in costs mainly a result of high staff turnover connected to mental health, businesses cannot afford to ignore the issue. Elizabeth Hampson, Deloitte director and author of ‘Mental health and employers: the case for investment – pandemic and beyond’, said: “We have seen poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion a year, based on a new Deloitte survey, an increase of 25% in the cost of poor mental health to employers compared to 2019. Mental health issues are a strong driver for the ‘Great resignation’. Long hours, increased stress and job insecurity have had a detrimental impact on quality of life during the pandemic. People are leaving their jobs, re-evaluating their careers and changing occupations in large numbers. Burnout among employees, such as feelings of exhaustion, mental distance from the job and reduced job performance, have been more evident during the pandemic. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:55 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 35 HEALTH AND SAFETY Measures by employers to improve mental wellbeing should not only benefit employees themselves but should also reduce employment costs such as recruitment costs and provide broader societal benefits.” There is a clear case for investing in and prioritising mental health, in fact research shows that for every £1 invested in staff wellbeing, employers see a return of £5.30 on average. Meanwhile prioritising mental health helps to attract and retain employees. There is currently renewed focus on the topic of mental health at work following Mental Health Awareness Week last month (May), and as the connection between good mental health at work and productivity becomes ever-clearer. Many businesses however remain unsure of how to improve their approach to mental health. A good starting point for leaders, then, is bolstering one’s understanding of mental health, how it can impact people, and where leaders and staff can get support when needed. There are a plethora of organisations that offer information that can help in tackling mental health problems in a business, including Mental Health at Work and Working Minds. Employers should also take a leading role in talking about and opening up the conversation on mental health in the business and look to create time for one- to-ones and catch-ups. It is also important to invest in training to help managers identify signs of poor mental health and understand how to reach their employees, as well as provide time for learning sessions for the wider company. Mental Health First Aid training is one avenue to look into, being the mental health equivalent of physical first aid training and offering the skills and knowledge to be able to recognise symptoms of common mental health issues and guide a person to the right support, whether professional or self- help services, while helping participants learn how to give reassurance, communicate non-judgementally, and understand how to raise awareness in the workplace. Subsequently, signpost who the Mental Health First Aiders are in the workplace. Forming a mental health wellbeing strategy for a business is key too, to make meaningful improvements to staff mental health, illustrating how firms will support staff to be as mentally healthy as possible. Such strategies provide guidance when people ask for help, indicate areas in need of improvement, and highlight the ways in which the plan will be developed into the future, ensuring initiatives are not one-offs but are part of long-term change. Furthermore a strategy can act as a public declaration of values. Altruist Enterprises’ ‘Guide to Developing an Effective Workplace Mental Well-being Strategy’ is a useful tool and notes that ahead of writing a strategy, it is important to gather and analyse existing organisational data (demographics like age, gender, company culture and current policies, the employees’ physical environment, existing levels of mental ill health, et al.) so that your strategy is tailored to the needs of your workforce and will have the greatest impact. Collecting this data will allow the following questions to be answered: why do we want to produce this strategy; do we have the information we require in order to produce this strategy; are we complying with the law; do we have a problem with stress and mental ill health in the workplace; what are our organisation’s views/beliefs/actions on mental wellbeing; how is this strategy going to be used and how will it be used effectively? In writing a strategy, businesses should also consider hosting focus groups with staff and conducting surveys. Following this, one should have uncovered areas for intervention and be able to start developing a strategy, detailing why it has been produced, what one wants to achieve (for example to boost employee engagement and motivation, ensure signs of mental ill health can be identified earlier, or support staff experiencing mental ill health to stay in work), and illustrating the current picture with actions that are to be taken. Actions might include holding regular awareness events, encouraging storytelling and role modelling to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, creating space for employees to be involved, particularly with the decisions that affect them, and communicating information regularly in a transparent way. Policies and processes might additionally be put in place, such as encouraging no out of hours emails and offering flexible working, as well as wellbeing initiatives like mindfulness classes. Moreover, frequent evaluation after launching a strategy will enable one to assess its effectiveness. With employees a business’s most valuable asset, it is vital to take care of their health and wellbeing. © stock.adobe.com/onephoto 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:55 Page 4www.blmforum.net MEET THE EXPERTS E xpertise is something that is difficult to quantify. Do we call someone an expert for the length of time they have worked in an industry, or for the success stories they have from it? Or better yet, is an expert little more than an individual with a collection of qualifications and letters after their name? The answer is never quite simple. In a sense, an expert could be said to be a combination of all three, but at the same time every single person is – or ought to be – an expert in their own craft. Someone who runs a packaging company is bound to be an expert in packaging, the same for food manufacturing or recruitment agencies. The challenge is in finding someone who is both an expert in their chosen field, but who can also become an expert in yours as well. There are many people who are experts in a given craft – be it law, financial services or consulting – but for the best service possible to be achieved, they need also to be an expert in your company. This is where so many people find issue with experts; they hire someone who prescribes themselves expert, and they may well be, but find the advice given to be either incompatible with their company or not tailored to it. That’s to be expected of course, as an expert hired from outside the company isn’t going to know your firm as well as you do, but that doesn’t change the fact that they must be used. How does one find the right kind of expert then? The answer is to delve deeper into what it means to be an expert. A solicitor or accountant is an expert in law or accounting, yes, but there are many who choose to go deeper, either investing in further qualifications in a specific field of business, or just working in that more commonly and generating a reputation for being particularly specialised in a given field or sector – think divorce lawyer vs contract lawyer, or tax specialist vs wealth management. Many companies now work with teams dedicated toward certain sectors, but many still do not, and while the internet and Google are convenient for finding people, they come with the downside of small and ill-equipped companies being able to appear on the front page just as often as more specialised and reputable ones. Just as it may be easier for independent companies to compete with multinationals online, so too is it easier for fresh-faced and inexperienced experts to catch your eye with their lower prices, too-good-to- be-true deals or flashy websites. It used to be that you could trust anyone and everyone that you called on because for them to be recognisable, they had to be marketing themselves – and you cannot market yourself without money, ergo they must be successful businesses. Nowadays, the internet and social media has made that much harder. Anyone can create a website, often for a low The right tool for the job Finding the right specialist for your business needs can be a daunting task, especially when a quick search online might reveal thousands. Settling for the first you see will always be the wrong choice, however. It’s best to do a little deeper research to find the right expert for your needs. © stock.adobe.com/TommyStockProject 36-37.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:56 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 37 MEET THE EXPERTS Company Profile: Dexter & Sharpe Chartered Accountants were founded in the late nineteenth century and have continued to build on their enviable reputation for over 130 years. Providing a range of financial services and with specialists in everything from agriculture to construction and manufacturing to transport, Dexter & Sharpe have been serving businesses across the region with their specific business needs. Focused on plain jargon-free advice that is both accurate and tailored to the business in question, there’s a reason Dexter & Sharpe have been successful for over a century. Tristran Russell, FCCA, B.A (Hons) Profile: After joining Dexter and Sharpe in 1998 as a graduate from the University of Central Lancashire Preston, Tristran has accrued over 24 years of experience and was made a partner in 2013. Currently resident at the Horncastle and Lincoln offices, Tristran specialises in the agricultural and small business sectors, and enjoys both the unique challenge these sectors bring, and the practical and unique solutions they so often require. Outside the office, Tristran is an active member of the local 41 Club. He is also treasurer for Wilksby church, and you can often hear his baritone in the Horncastle Choral Society. Tristran is also an associate trustee of Mareham le Fen School House Trust. CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Dexter & Sharpe Rollestone House, Bridge Street, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 5HZ Tel: 01507 526 071 Web: www.dextersharpe.co.uk Email: post@dextersharpe.co.uk cost, and the number of so-called experts has risen so high that we now have entire industries that have sprung up around misinformation and fraudulent experts peddling miracle cures and political agendas. While social media and referrals from other companies are a good way to source better companies, ironically it might be the age-old methods that are best. While it’s true that anyone can promote themselves on the internet, it is also true that other methods of advertising are more expensive. Therefore, companies advertising in magazines, newspapers or on the radio are more likely to have larger budgets – and larger budgets are usually connected with more revenue, higher levels of business success and a greater reputation. That’s not to say it’s fool proof – little is – but companies that feature in traditional media are often doing something to earn that, and they should be the first stopping point for an in-person visit. Visiting a supplier in person is, after all, the only true and proper way to get a handle on how good an expert is. The best will listen as much as they talk, because while they are undoubtedly more informed than you on matters of their chosen craft, they will understand that you are more informed than they on matters of your own business. Finding the right solution to any problem will be a matter of combining their expertise with the limitations, opportunities and various other factors surrounding any given business, and what will work for one client certainly won’t be a catch-all solution for any other. An expert that does not ask questions and take the time to get to know you, your problems and your business, may still be an expert, but they are perhaps not the right expert for you. © stock.adobe.com/Pixel-Shot 36-37.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:56 Page 238 Business Link www.blmforum.net CORPORATE HOSPITALITY Performing for business For some, it may have been a while since they’ve had to speak at a public event – at least one that wasn’t hosted virtually – and a little reminder of the key points might make all the difference. 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:58 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 39 CORPORATE HOSPITALITY © stock.adobe.com/kasto Conferences are a great way to draw attention to a company, and such events have been held for many years by business owners and managers, particularly by businesses with high levels of expert knowledge – such as legal or financial practitioners. The general principle is that by holding an event or seminar, the host can impart their knowledge and expertise to an audience of prospective customers. This not only gives the speaker a chance to impress the audience, but also draw attention to further savings the host’s company can help the client achieve - thus securing customers. With a huge number of beautiful and specialised conferencing venues across our region, it should come as little surprise that the conferencing industry is a booming one – and yet, there are still many companies who have never considered the benefits for themselves. For many, this is not an issue of oversight or being unaware of the benefits, but more an issue of confidence – or the reluctance to publicly speak in front of a large audience. This is neither something to be ashamed of, nor something to hold a company back, however. Very few people are born with the confidence necessary to stand up and orate – and in many cases this is a skill learned through trial and error, or practice. Here however, are 41 Á 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:58 Page 2Next >