< Previous20 www.blmforum.net PORTS AND LOGISTICS PORTS The future of The future of 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:48 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 21 PORTS AND LOGISTICS © stock.adobe.com/Arild Solving the skills crisis in the logistics industry, as well as utilising our region’s ports, will prove critical if the region is going to thrive in the current harsh economic climate. T hrough multiple budgets, a fresh economic crisis and now a recession, it’s difficult to see what is left of the Government’s taunted “levelling up” project. The project sought to level the playing field when it comes to housing, infrastructure, and investment whilst making the nation a better, safer, and farer place to live and work for all. Without meaningful action and investment, however, it’s nothing more than an intangible idea. But by identifying key industrial areas that can have the biggest socio-economic impacts, the UK will truly be able to enter a new era. The problems are manifest, however. A lack of skilled workers, the cost of living crisis, Brexit making international development difficult, and now the fact the country has slipped into a recession after the absolute fiasco caused by Boris 22 Á 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:48 Page 222 Business Link www.blmforum.net PORTS AND LOGISTICS Johnson and then Liz Truss. This has left the ports and logistics industry to take on the challenge themselves, and address the issues where the Government is falling short. British ports have been investing in new infrastructures in order to decarbonise their operations while still promoting great and highly advanced standards. These infrastructures have been planned with the scope of reducing carbon emissions while still bringing new resources and opportunities to local communities and the economy. The Humber ports, as key players in the supply chain and freight industry, have been leading the way with new investments that will bring the region one step closer to a better future and provide their customers with a better, more efficient and more sustainable choice. The ABP, Association of British Ports, has been putting a lot of effort and resources towards the net zero goals set by the government; they understand the great impact ports have not only on British economy, but on carbon emissions too, and have realised how decisive their input could be on the path to sustainability. In Immingham, the port will soon be receiving three new industrial harbour cranes from a factory in Germany, after engineers returned from testing them. The Liebherr 420s will be arriving from Rostock in northern Germany. The new investment has cost £9.7 million with an additional £500k on new Nemag grabs. The new cranes use the Liebherr hybrid system which comprises of a diesel generator which runs on HVO and the option to switch to all electric, which achieves a greater performance while reducing fuel consumption at the same time. The sustainable hybrid drive reduces the emission of CO2 and other harmful substances but also gives more power. Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports says: “This is another great investment in the port. It offers our customers a range of equipment, these being specially optimised for vessels in the post-panamax class. It’s part of our wider strategy investment in future proofing the Humber ports and giving our customers the confidence that the ports remain resilient, and we are giving them what they need in having reliable and efficient cranage.” © stock.adobe.com/Tom Falcon Harding 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:48 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 23 PORTS AND LOGISTICS Keeping Your Business Moving Hire, Service & Repairs Commercial Trailer Specialists in Stallingborough, Grimsby Diversity is another element lacking in the port industry and, although things are always improving from one generation to the other, it is also true that more changes are necessary. This is coming not only on the back of changing minds and initiatives across the country, but also the very real need to unlock a wider labour pool in the ports and logistics industry – a sector that has traditionally been male- dominated. That tradition is not one that can remain, both for ethical reasons but also practical ones, as there simply aren’t enough skilled workers and operators. The country needs more, and with Brexit cutting off the potential to take on skilled foreign workers, the industry needs a way to target new domestic ones. The ABP, along with other organisations like Maritime UK and PD Ports have been pledging their support towards making the port industry more diverse and tackle gender imbalance. Today women make up for only 1.2% of global maritime workforce and more diversity is needed to provide people across the world the representation they need and deserve. Clearly, ports are historically male dominated environments and women have been struggling to find their way in the industry due to the several biases around heavy manual labour and hostile work environments. However, over the last decade, a lot of progress has been made in order to achieve better equality and representation for women, who have still a lot of work to do, but have managed to successfully enter the maritime industry. © stock.adobe.com/bbsferrari 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:48 Page 424 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENGINEERING T his year has brought unique challenges to the engineering sector. A severe skills shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis has compounded vast reaching supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine. This has left firms desperately scrambling to fulfil orders. To survive this turbulent climate, the industry needs to address some deep-rooted issues that have plagued the engineering sector since its inception. Thankfully, some initiatives are beginning to take shape, such as outreach programmes and government funding. Yet, the entire industry needs to embrace them. So, what can engineering firms and industry leaders do to help improve the outlook for the sector? The UK engineering and manufacturing industry comprises a huge proportion of the working population – around 5 million people and 18% of the entire UK workforce. Despite this huge number, it is not enough to meet demand. The Institution of Engineering and Technology estimates that there is an average of 10 unfilled roles per business. A separate survey found that 96% of engineering firms are affected by skilled labour shortages, and 75% of independent contractors have had issues recruiting skilled workers. One reason for this massive shortage is the ongoing impact of Brexit. The UK has long leant on skilled European engineers, hailing from countries such as France, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland. When Brexit came into force, skilled European workers left the UK en masse, leaving behind millions of open positions. Whilst one of the main goals of Brexit was to encourage companies to invest in domestic workforce, the chronic lack of investment in recent years means that there is not a ready UK workforce to take the place of the EU workers. In fact, the chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) confirmed that they are working with international governments to encourage “managed migration” to fill existing skills gaps. In short, the issue is so severe that there is no choice but to bring in overseas personnel. However, the government maintains that engineering firms should seek to prioritise UK engineers over international staff wherever possible. Yet, with over half of firms experiencing difficulties recruiting the right talent levels, it begs the question of why there is such a lack of skilled engineers domestically, and what can be done to address this. Firstly, there is an extreme lack of diversity across the sector. Women account for less than 15% of all UK engineers. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field has always had a significant gender imbalance, often arising from girls often being discouraged from pursuing these topics in school. Whilst only 20% of Engineering graduates are female, there is still a discrepancy between those who graduate and those who actually work in the field. Worse still, 40% of female engineering graduates will eventually quit the sector, or never even end up working in it. Research suggests that this Finding new talent With Brexit preventing skilled migrant workers coming to the UK, the engineering sector has been struggling to find new talent. With critically small amounts of female and BAME engineers, however, there may be a market ripe for recruitment – if old barriers can be broken down. 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:49 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 is largely due to organisational culture. Male- dominated workplaces not used to accommodating women can feel unwelcoming and even hostile. Yet, in not accommodating women, this is turning away skilled labour that the sector cannot afford to lose. To avoid this, employers should be actively targeting female STEM graduates. Firms who do not actively target female candidates are likely to receive significantly fewer applications from women than those who do. Furthermore, being present at clubs and societies for female STEM workers (such as Women in Tech) increases visibility to the target population, and ensures the firm aligns themselves as a women’s ally. Even more underrepresented than women are those with registered disabilities. STEM 26 Á © stock.adobe.com/Monkey Business © stock.adobe.com/Halfpoint 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:49 Page 226 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENGINEERING industries employ 75% fewer people with disabilities than other industries. Given that workers with disabilities have adapted to work in an able-bodied environment, they have already proven that they can overcome more significant challenges than the average person. This means that they may have a unique perspective on engineering, making those with disabilities extremely valuable staff members. Those from BAME backgrounds are also less likely to find engineering jobs. Despite 30% of engineering graduates being BAME, only 9% make it into the industry. This is best addressed in educational spaces. For example, Coventry University has a programme for BAME STEM students, to help them anticipate and navigate barriers to entry. Local firms could sponsor these workshops, giving information on what engineering jobs entail, and promoting employers who welcome diverse candidates. A way to encourage young, underrepresented people into engineering is through Higher Technical Qualifications. Although 40% of graduates have STEM degrees, there remains a shortage of medium skilled entrants into the industry. For those who do not want to attend University, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) improve young people’s readiness for work by teaching practical and practical skills. However, only 12% of UK students engage with this type of learning, compared to 36% in the US and 22% in Canada. This shortage could be explained by a lack of endorsement from schools. According to a survey, only 25% of 11 – 19-year-olds had heard about engineering from a career’s advisor. This discourages young people from considering engineering as a future career. The obvious solution would seem to be increasing community outreach work. This could be through talks and workshops in schools, accepting more work experience placements, and sponsoring STEM school trips and awards programmes. This places the spotlight on both the sector and the business. Whilst the outlook for the engineering sector may seem bleak, there is hope on the horizon. The war in Ukraine has encouraged investment in domestic infrastructure, such as gas and electricity pipelines. Furthermore, industry leaders have pledged to accelerate investment in decarbonisation, as a bid to tackle climate change. These projects will include prioritising low-carbon heat, scaling up the availability of electric vehicle chargers, and low-carbon retrofit and refurbishment of commercial buildings. Healthy investment in the sector means that employers have the ability to dedicate time to outreach programmes and invest in apprenticeships and training. There is a ready and able workforce already out there, those people simply need a helping hand to get them through the door. © stock.adobe.com/Me studio 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:49 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 27 HEALTH AND SAFETY One year ago, the biggest health and safety problem was COVID – and while the world united to face that, it seems some of the old problems with health and safety practices remain even now. D uring 2020 and 2021, the office environment became a barren landscape of a handful of workers, socially distanced and wearing masks. This meant that the number of workplace accidents plummeted during this time, as most UK workers were either working remotely or placed on furlough. 2022 saw a huge push from the government and private industry to return to widespread office working. From this, somewhat expectedly, there has been an increase in workplace illness and injury. Statistics suggest that sadly, the time away from the office was not utilised to revise health and safety standards, as the most dangerous jobs pre-pandemic remain so. With the Health and Safety Authority having just released its 2022 report, it’s time to see how a return to normality has impacted the workforce. The Labour Force Survey determined that 565,000 working people have sustained an injury whilst at work and a total of 61, 713 employee injuries have been reported to RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). These numbers seem enormous, but they do SAFE Staying 28 Á © stock.adobe.com/Aunging 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:51 Page 128 Business Link www.blmforum.net HEALTH AND SAFETY only account for roughly 2% of the working population (around 27.9 million people). Whilst this may not be enough for widespread concern, there are certain sectors which are disproportionately affected by workplace injuries. Just 38 work-related fatalities occurred in 2021, with manual labour being the biggest culprit. This is the lowest number in more than 30 years, since the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) was established. This has been correlated with the increased furlough rates amongst manual and construction workers. However, this figure rose to 123 this year. This increase is to be expected given the widespread return to work and is on par with pre-pandemic levels. Workplace fatalities (and general injuries) have been on a downward trajectory since 2017. Whilst this is not an alarming increase, it demonstrates that there is scope for improving the safety of manual workers. The most common cause of fatalities has remained the same, with the top three causes being falling from height, being struck by a moving vehicle, and being struck by a moving object respectively. The risk of exposure to these is inherent in construction work. Construction sites (depending on their scale) are somewhat notorious for a lackadaisical attitude towards health and safety. In fact, a construction worker was recently killed in Lincolnshire due to a lack of on-site safety training. This once again demonstrates a need for more stringent safety measures across the industry. In fact, this is showcased in the figures for non-fatal injuries. Alongside fatal injuries, the number has increased from 2020 to 2021. A total of 8,279 non-fatal injuries occurred at work last year, which is actually a 12% decrease from 2019. The HSA found that the imposed business closures and changes in working 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:51 Page 2www.blmforum.net Business Link 29 HEALTH AND SAFETY practices due to the Covid-19 pandemic may have fundamentally changed the way some carry out operations. For example, health and safety guidelines had to be updated to include workplace sanitisation and social distancing, some of which is still being enforced. This could mean that workers are more cautious about what they are doing, and how they are doing it. The biggest increase in injuries last year was in the manufacturing sector, with 1,632 occurrences, compared to 1,346 in 2020. Within this, manual handling and falls were the most common cause of injury. This tracks with pre-pandemic statistics, as these have been the most common of injuries since 2017. Back problems caused by lifting or moving heavy objects account for 21% of all injuries sustained at work. This compares to it being the cause of only 5% across injuries not sustained at work. Manual labour is the most common cause of long-term injuries too. There are 477,000 workers currently suffering from a work related musculoskeletal disorder, according to the HSA. Whilst the human cost is the most obvious, time off due to workplace illness or injury also naturally incurs a business cost. From 2019 – 2022, 36.8 million working days have been lost across the UK due to work-related illness or injury. The total estimated cost of this is £18.8 billion. These figures are staggering and highlight the importance of robust health and safety procedures from a business continuity perspective. It could also wreak havoc on reputation. Customers care about employee treatment and prefer to hire companies with a reputation for fairness. Furthermore, workplace injury (especially in construction) often stems from cutting corners. Customers want value for money, so will put their faith in businesses with a reputation for doing things the right way, even if it takes longer or is more costly. So how can companies create a robust health and safety policy? Firstly, surveys will need to be done on common hazards found in their workplace, and any common injuries being sustained. Next, those most at risk need to be identified. For example, office workers are more likely to be at risk of musculoskeletal damage due to poor posture and desk setup, whereas warehouse workers may also be at risk, but due to poor lifting practices. The next and most important step is to develop a detailed training plan. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires businesses to provide adequate employee training. However, whilst everyone must undergo training, the best training is tailored towards that person’s specific job role. Certain training will be required for everyone, but if you know that certain jobs expose employees to specific risks, teach them how to avoid and mitigate those risks. Whilst construction and manual handling is the main culprit for workplace injury, everyone is prone to stress. Nearly two fifths of UK businesses have seen an increase in work related stress since 2019, and companies are required to protect the mental health of employees. Look after staff by encouraging regular breaks and taking their full allocated lunch break. You could appoint a Mental Health First Aider as someone to speak to, who can guide those in need towards useful mental health services. © stock.adobe.com/ kokliang1981 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:51 Page 3Next >