WorkRite 2.0 went live last month and is now available to existing customers as an upgrade and to all new subscribers.

The portal supports WorkRite’s comprehensive suite of computer-based training and assessment courses which enable organisations to comply with their legal obligations while also saving time and money and improving productivity.

Major design and functional changes and additions have been made to the new site, based largely on feedback received from clients.

Chris Jones, information systems and software manager of WorkRite parent Posturite Ltd, said: “We are really excited about the changes that have been made. WorkRite 2.0 not only looks a lot cleaner but is also a great deal more intuitive. We’re sure our users will love it.”

To find out more about WorkRite’s e-learning, training and consultancy solutions, visit the website, call 0845 345 0010 or email us.

DSE Assessors have a vital role to play in ensuring that businesses fulfil their legal duty of care obligations to all desk-based employees whether they work in the office, at home or between the two.

This year we will be holding more than 70 one-day DSE Assessor courses throughout the country. Click here for a full list of dates and venues.

Our basic DSE Assessor Course equips people to:

• fully understand the requirements of the DSE regulations and assessment procedures
• identify the risks to staff associated with incorrect use of computers and examples of possible solutions
• gain an understanding of common musculoskeletal disorders, the regulations associated with DSE assessment, an overview of common workstation errors and an insight into solutions available
• provide the necessary feedback to the DSE users and managers within their companies

Our Advanced DSE Assessor Course, for those who have already completed a standard course, enables people to:

• gain a better understanding of the risks associated with using computers incorrectly and the possible solutions
• share experiences of being DSE assessors
• understand more about anatomy, physiology and common musculoskeletal disorders
• review the DSE Regulations and evaluate relevant ergonomic office accessories

All courses run from 10am until 4pm and cost £195 (ex-VAT) per person. Places are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis, so please book early. If you have any questions, please call Emma Dann on 0845 345 0010 ext 240 or email support@posturite.co.uk

As the UK's leading supplier of ergonomic furniture and equipment for the workplace, we have long preached the message that prolonged sitting can be harmful. The human body simply isn't designed for it.

A good ergonomic, multi-adjustable chair will go a long way towards easing the potential health problems of desk-based workers. They are designed to adapt constantly to the movements of the body so that you don't sit still for too long.

But the best solution is for companies to combine ergonomic seating with sit-stand desking that allows people to change regularly between a seated position and a standing one without interrupting their work. Height adjustable desks help improve blood circulation which, in turn, aids concentration and increases alertness and productivity. Being able to get relief from a static posture while still carrying on with the job in hand has huge potential health benefits. Click here to find out more about our height adjustable desks.

Meanwhile, here is the Associated Press article we mentioned earlier. We suggest you read it while standing up!

Experts: Sitting too much could be deadly

MARIA CHENG

LONDON (AP) - Here's a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly.

Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods - even if you also exercise regularly - could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place - at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV - just the overall number of hours it occurs.

Research is preliminary, but several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.

In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.

While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.

"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.

Even for people who exercise, spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day - but still spend a lot of time sitting - might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.

That wasn't welcome news for Aytekin Can, 31, who works at a London financial company, and spends most of his days sitting in front of a computer. Several evenings a week, Can also teaches jiu jitsu, a Japanese martial art involving wrestling, and also does Thai boxing.

"I'm sure there are some detrimental effects of staying still for too long, but I hope that being active when I can helps," he said. "I wouldn't want to think the sitting could be that dangerous."

Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised.

"We don't have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad," said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. "But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better."

Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars.

Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.

"People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits," Ekblom-Bak said. "But when they're in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible," she said. "Don't just send your colleague an e-mail. Walk over and talk to him. Standing up."

We’re planning to develop all sorts of new mechanisms to enable customers to do more of their business with us online.

And we’ve got some of the best brains in the county to help us.

Gulden Uchyigit and Gerard Allsop from Brighton University’s School of Computing Mathematical and Information Sciences will be working with us over the next two years to plan and implement the next stage of our web-based business development.

As well as contributing their own considerable skills and expertise, Gulden and Gerard will also oversee the day-to-day work of a graduate employee who will be embedded full time in our business to manage the development programme.

All three people come as part of a government-funded business support package known as the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, designed to enable companies to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance.

Posturite and Brighton University jointly applied for a grant under the KTP scheme and were successful in winning funding of £112,400.

Posturite will contribute around one-third of the cost of the project and, if all goes well, take over from the university as the graduate’s employer after two years.

Ian Fletcher-Price, Posturite CEO, commented: “We are delighted to have forged this new partnership with our local university.

“It gives their people a chance to apply their knowledge and skills in a commercial environment, provides an employment opportunity for a recent graduate, and us the prospect of making some interesting additions and improvements to our web-based customer interfaces.”

The HÅG HO4 4600 chairs were delivered and installed at seven Orange offices in the North East and South West of England.

Orange has been a long-standing Posturite customer, buying chairs and other equipment on a curative basis when employees suffered musculoskeletal problems.

Now staff at its offices in Darlington, North Tyneside and Plymouth have been provided with high-quality, multi-adjustable ergonomic chairs.

The 10-year warranty that HÅG offers on all its chairs was a major factor in Orange choosing the HO4 4600.

But HÅG’s strong environmental credentials also played a significant part in Orange’s purchasing decision. Since 1995 HÅG has used recycled car bumpers and plastic waste to make the plastic components of its chairs, and it was the first European office chair manufacturer to be certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute in the USA.

Posturite Regional Manager David Kirtley, who was closely involved with the project, said: “We have been supplying chairs – usually the HÅG HO4 – to Orange on a curative basis for about three years and also installed their 24-hour control room in Bristol two years ago. We’ve worked hard with them over the years and we’re very proud of what has been achieved.

“It’s clear from our discussions with Orange that the HO4 4600 meets all their criteria in terms of price, appearance, functionality, durability and environmental considerations. But it was the long-term benefits of greater productivity and reduced costs relating to work absence that really won the day.”

As part of the deal, Office Environments also removed all the old chairs from the various offices. They will go for re-use, recycling or responsible disposal.

But what many of you may have missed is that Evans has taken over the great Togmeister’s seat both metaphorically and literally.

The ginger one is presenting his daily show from the same black leather RH Logic 400 chair previously occupied by Sir Terry.

The chair was spotted by our eagled-eyed regional sales manager David Kirtley in the recent promotion that BBC TV ran for the new Chris Evans Show.

He said: “The BBC has bought a number of RH Logic and Extend chairs in the past, so at least we know that Chris will be comfortable in the studio.”

If you would like to make yourself as comfortable as the country’s favourite radio presenters, give us a call. We’ll be happy to demonstrate the benefits of the RH Logic 400 for you.

Ring us on 0845 345 0010, email us or visit our website to get more information.

Although there’s no law that says you have to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) ready for such occasions, failure to do so could leave you open to a common lawsuit.

The Resuscitation Council (UK) reports that some American airlines have already been successfully sued for not carrying the equipment.

High-risk sites such as airports, rail stations, gyms, leisure centres and so on should certainly have AEDs available along with the personnel properly trained to use them.

But even if you think it unlikely that anyone will have a cardiac arrest on your premises, why take the risk?

Our industry-leading AEDs will ensure you are fully covered should the worst happen.

They’re quick, easy and safe to use even by non-trained people. They detect the electrical activity in the heart and give automated step-by-step instructions to the rescuer.

In a situation where prompt action is essential, they could just make the difference between life and death for anyone suffering a heart attack on your premises.

For every minute that passes, the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest reduce by 14 per cent. Research shows that applying a controlled shock within five minutes of collapse provides the best possible outcome.

This is one reason why we’re providing more defibrillators to organisations in the North of Scotland than to virtually any other part of the UK. Average response times for the emergency services in Scotland’s rural areas, and even in parts of Aberdeen, are often around eight minutes.

Our North of Scotland account manager Scott Andrews, commented: “It’s very gratifying that so many companies and public bodies north of the border are showing commendable responsibility to the health and welfare of people working on or visiting their premises.

“Hopefully they’ll never have to use one of the defibrillators they have bought from us, but it’s good to know that one is available should it be required.”

How quickly do you think a paramedic could get to your premises? If it’s more than five minutes, an AED should certainly be made available.

It’s a small price to pay for saving a life.

Find out more about our AEDs by visiting the MediRite website at www.medirite.co.uk, call us on 0845 199 9991 or email support@medirite.co.uk

They conducted their negotiations from the comfort of environmentally-friendly HÅG Futu chairs. A whopping 97% of the chair is recyclable and 50% of the chair’s plastic components are made from recycled materials.

Only seven different materials make up the finished product and the manufacturing process uses neither chromium plating nor glue – both potentially harmful to the environment.

HÅG is the first European furniture manufacturer to be awarded the Greenguard certificate, making the Futu and the other HÅG chairs used at the Copenhagen conference – the unique Capisco, the Sideways and the Wing - the ideal choice for companies looking to lead the way in corporate and social responsibility.

The HÅG Futu’s superior economic design features an advanced interior based on HÅG’s new inBalance technology, and an exciting, streamlined exterior that allows for flexibility for use in the office. Together with a 15 year life expectancy, HÅG chairs are the sensible choice for companies wanting to protect both the environment and their budgets.

If you would like us to visit you to demonstrate the Futu or any other chair from our extensive range, please contact any member of the Posturite team, call 0845 345 0010, email us or visit the website.

You’ll be doing yourself and the environment a favour.

We’re going to be holding even more this year.

We’ve decided to expand the programme in order to cope with an extraordinary demand for places that saw virtually every one of our 2009 events over-subscribed.

Particularly popular have been our seminars exploring the benefits of home and remote working.

Recent events at the Zurich offices in Cheltenham, solicitors Ward Hadaway in Leeds and Herman Miller’s UK sales office in Aldwych, London, had to have ‘house full’ notices put up within a couple of days of being announced.

Geoff Thompson, our national sales manager, commented: “Home working is a hot topic so perhaps it’s not too surprising that many of our clients want to hear about how to successfully plan and execute a flexible working policy.

“There are important HR, health and safety, IT and facilities considerations that need to be explored before organisations can be sure their employees are operating in a safe, productive and compliant working environment.

“Our expertise in this area is often supported at our seminars by leading lawyers and clients with whom we have worked in the past who are able to provide good, practical advice having already been through the exercise.”

Home working seminars will again feature prominently in the 2010 programme in which we will once more be partnering with some of Britain’s leading businesses to provide quality venues across the country.

Other subjects covered in 2009 that will feature again this year are assistive technology, where we’ll be joined by our specialist partner iansyst Ltd, and Access to Work which we run in conjunction with Job Centre Plus.

We’ll be announcing the programme for the early part of 2010 shortly. Meanwhile, if you would like to suggest any new topics or themes that you would like to see included, please give us a call on 0845 345 0010 or email support@posturite.co.uk

Our all-conquering London and Home Counties squad – Chris Hollely, Paul Lindsey, Anthony Burns, Jon White, Pete Barret, Matt O'Sullivan, Matt Jones and Matt Davies – went through the competition unbeaten, winning all four of their round-robin league games before spanking Day2 27-7 in the semi-finals and hosts CBS 16-7 in the final.

As well as beating Colebrook Bosson Saunders in the final, our players also saw off competition from furniture firms Tsunami Axis, Progressive and Bene in the earlier matches.

Matt O’Sullivan commented: “I think we took a few people by surprise. When we were invited to take part, I don’t think they realised that several of our people play football on a regular basis, some at a fairly senior level.

“I hope that our success won’t count against us being asked to take part again next year.”

Office Environments, our specialist office design, supply and fit division, has teamed up with Intelligent Furniture to offer customers these unique and exciting desking systems.

What makes them so special is the built-in remote control that allows the user’s PC to be stored up to 10 metres away with no loss of functionality.

The super-slim remote control unit sits in the desk’s work surface, duplicating the key controls – on/off switch, headphone and mic ports, USB ports and CD/DVD drive – and placing them ergonomically at the user’s fingertips.

This allows the PC to be hidden away inside the desk or a nearby store room, creating attractive, safe, clutter-free and ergonomic workspaces for your staff. It also means that each workstation footprint can be much smaller, allowing more desks to be fitted into a room.

The PCs also become virtually theft and damage-proof as they, and all their cables, are hidden away invisibly inside the locked desk or store room. Being able to place the PC remotely from the user also means a substantial reduction in heat output in the room, creating a significant reduction in air-conditioning.

Intelligent desking can be custom-built to your requirements, and the solution works with all major manufacturers’ PCs without affecting the manufacturer’s warranty – the remote control simply uses a PCI card to connect to the industry-standard PC (HP, Dell, Fujitsu etc). This means upgrades, repairs and modifications can be made quickly and easily by your own team.

To find out how you could benefit from the installation of Intelligent desking, call us on 0845 408 0640, email support@office-environments.co.uk or visit our website at www.office-environments.co.uk

All of the products in the bundles have been carefully selected to provide a comfortable, ergonomic working environment with easy set-up and FREE delivery.

Buy now and save hundreds of pounds on the normal retail prices of the individual products. The offer ends on 30 November 2009.

Products

Sense Desk from Herman Miller
	The high-performance Sense desk makes, well, sense. With its large work surface and wire manager, it supports you and your technology and does it with simplicity, flexibility, and a cool residential look. Matching storage components complete the home office. A desk that assembles in seconds as the components simply click into place, with no tools required! 12 Year warranty
Herman Miller Celle Chair
	The Herman Millar Celle is of one of the most economical, highly sophisticated and eco-conscious chairs ever made. The Celle has intelligently pliable seat and back surfaces that respond superbly when you sit down, work and move.
Positiv U600 Chair
	Posturite’s own chair, the Positiv provides comfort, adjustability and durability to the user. Upholstered Back Standard Flat Nylon Base Retractable Arms Independent Mechanism
RH Ambio
	If you spend a lot of time in your chair at work, you’ll already know how important it is to be comfortable. But comfort is not merely a matter of posture. It is also about temperature and ventilation. That is why RH has developed RH Ambio, a completely new kind of chair that is not only ventilated to maintain a consistent temperature, but which helps you sit properly and as a result feel much better.
Laptop Pack
	The Portable Lap Pack facilitates a totally portable and ergonomically correct solution. The products provide the basis for a neutral balanced working posture whether working from home or any other location. The laptop pack is comprised of: Posturite Lap Top Stand Posturite Number-Slide Keyboard Logitech LX8 Cordless Optical Mouse Posturite Mouse Mat

Pricing

By using the simple table below, you can mix and match the products to suit you:

Seating			Desking
Positiv U600	Celle	Ambio 100	Sense Desk 120x80	Sense Desk 140x80	Laptop Pack*	RETAIL PRICE	OFFER PRICE	SAVING
X			X		X	810.84	567.58	243.26
X				X	X	819.84	573.88	245.96
	X		X		X	1081.84	757.28	324.56
	X			X	X	1090.84	763.58	327.26
		X	X		X	1061.84	743.28	318.56
		X		X	X	1070.84	749.58	321.26

* Laptop Pack consists of - Posturite Lap Top Stand, Posturite Number-Slide Keyboard, Posturite Mouse Mat, Logitech LX8 Cordless Optical Mouse

Additional Options:

Herman Miller Sense Under-Desk Pedestal with Pen Tray – Retail £223 - Offer Price £156 (Saving £67)

Accessories for Sense Desk:

4 1200mm Tool Bar - £61.00

4 1400mm Tool Bar - £67.00

4 Privacy Panel – prices vary on desk size

4 Pinnable Board - £80.00 (pack of 2)

4 A4 Paper Tray - £31.00 (pack of 2)

4 A3 Paper Tray - £21.0

4 Cable Basket - £33.00

4 Power Unit - £75.00

Free delivery on all bundles featured

Seating and desking options are subject to stock colours

All prices exclude VAT

For additional information, or to order your bundle, please email support@posturite.co.uk or call 0845 345 0010.

They may not be able to prevent a second wave of the virus sweeping across the country this autumn and winter, but they can certainly help to slow its progress by actively encouraging people to continue good hygiene practices such as as keeping their distance from others; washing their hands regularly and using anti-bacterial hand gel when necessary; coughing into the crook of their arm or a clean tissue; and binning tissues after one use.

David Kirtley, national sales manager of MediRite, Posturite’s specialist occupational health and first aid division, said: “With the vaccination programme now being rolled out, there could be a temptation for businesses to drop their guard. That would be a mistake. We all need to remain vigilant in order to try to lessen the impact that the anticipated second wave of the virus will have on the country this autumn and winter.

“We are here to help businesses manage their organisation’s defences against the virus. People can find out more by visiting our website or, if they would like to discuss any bespoke arrangements for infection control, they should contact their local Account Manager or call Alastair Sawyer on 07825 528171.”

David’s advice comes in the wake of a recent report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) that shows that fewer than half of Britain’s employers have proper contingency plans in place to deal with the consequences of a second wave of swine flu.

Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at the CIPD said: “There is a real danger of senior management teams ignoring the threat to their business posed by a second and more serious wave of swine flu after seeing the first wave subside much more quickly than anticipated.

“The media and public hysteria sparked by the initial stage of the pandemic has created a ‘cry wolf’ effect where the temptation for business leaders is to ask what all the fuss was about and get on with the priority of competing and surviving in recession.

“Evidence shows that still only a minority of employers have an adequate contingency plan in place to deal with a flu pandemic, which is extremely worrying considering that staff absence levels could peak for some businesses at levels which will make business as usual extremely difficult. The CIPD and the BCI believe all businesses should plan for a worst case scenario where staff absence rates reach 50%.”

“Success in managing through the flu pandemic will be dependent on the rigour of the planning that has gone on before the outbreak. A pre-pandemic plan will help minimise losses, but it’s not enough to just focus on the impact of large-scale absence on the business itself. Supply-chain and customer issues also need to be considered to keep businesses afloat if there is new surge of swine flu cases.”

In a jointly-published guide, Risk and Business Continuity Management, the CIPD and BCI warn businesses to take the following steps:

• Prioritise essential activities
• Provide cross training of staff in critical areas so employees have the skills to fill in for absent colleagues
• Consider remote working to prevent spread of infection
• Consider reducing human contact for those with key skills
• Consider increasing customer self-service options such as telephone and online transactions
• Keep on top of government advice and adapt plans to reflect changes
• Communicate plans with staff, customers and suppliers
• Follow public health agency advice on efficient ways to contain the virus
• Provide a safe workplace by implementing rules on health reporting, office and personal hygiene, protective equipment, social distancing and working hours

The views of the CIPD and BCI are backed up by research carried out by international law firm Eversheds which found that, despite more than two-thirds (72%) of UK businesses having now been affected by swine flu, 41% still don't have a contingency plan in place to deal with a second wave.

However, the survey revealed widespread concern over the potential future implications of employee absenteeism, with 38% of businesses believing they will lose revenue and one in five (21%) indicating they expect to have to close or part close premises.

Martin Warren, head of employment law at Eversheds, said: "All organisations should have a contingency plan in place which addresses the risk of swine flu and tackles business continuity issues should the virus take hold. At a tactical level, this may include the redeployment of staff, hiring additional agency labour, increasing stand-by cover for key operational roles and the temporary shutdown of infected workplaces."

From the beginning of October, the HSE-approved training has been reduced from four days to three. WorkRite held its first two courses at Gateshead on October 20-22 and in London on October 27-29.

Development of WorkRite’s new course was carried out in conjunction with MediRite, Posturite’s occupational health and first aid division.

People who attend a full three-day course and pass an independent assessment at the end of it are awarded a nationally-recognised and HSE-approved First Aid at Work certificate, valid for three years.

Among the important and potentially life-saving skills delegates learn are how to deal with choking, head injuries, strokes, asthma, poisons, fractures, back injuries, burns, epilepsy and diabetes, as well as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

WorkRite national sales manager Ryan Church said: “The courses at Gateshead and London were the first of many that we will be running across the country for people wanting to achieve the First Aid at Work qualification.

“We will also be organising a series of one-day refresher courses that the HSE recommends people attend annually to keep their qualification up to date.”

For details of all our first aid courses, visit the website, call Emma Dann on 0845 345 0010 or email support@workrite.co.uk

Dyslexia is a learning disability recognised under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and is completely unlinked to intelligence. There are no visible physical signs and it can affect people in different ways. Signs to look out for include inconsistent spelling, poor time-keeping, disorganisation and weakness in short term memory.

Dyslexia can be incredibly frustrating for a person, particularly as the skills it affects are so fundamental in the workplace. For an HR department, developing an inclusive culture where dyslexic employees feel secure and supported is fundamental. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a current or prospective employee on the basis of their dyslexia.

Under the DDA, all public funded companies must have a three-year rolling programme in place to address and eliminate discrimination of disabilities. The expectation is that soon private companies will also be required to do this.

Within the workplace, employers are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to enable dyslexic employees to undertake their work effectively. These may include;

• Disseminating a written disability policy.
• Publishing company wide information in alternative formats such as audio files or large print.
• Enabling staff to have a choice of coloured backgrounds, overlays and fonts.
• Creating the right work environment.
• Implementing specialist one-to-one training for dyslexic employees in areas such as time management, organisational skills and concentration/memory improvement techniques.
• Considering assistive technology and software such as voice recognition and predictive word software.

Further advice about making ‘reasonable adjustments’, practical steps to aid dyslexic employees, pointers to assistive technologies, advice on conforming to the DDA and grant information can all be found at www.re-adjust.co.uk. The site also introduces new consultancy and training services to help both employers and dyslexic employees.

Recruitment and selection procedures must also not discriminate against potential dyslexic employees. For example it would be reasonable to provide tape-recorded instructions to help candidates with short-term memory problems and to waive written tests if writing was not a significant part of the job applied for.

A simple way to identify dyslexia is to offer a short screening test via the company intranet. Once diagnosed, one-on-one diagnostic assessment is recommended to ascertain where the individual struggles in his/her job and how he/she can be better supported.

Dyslexia-awareness training for line managers is also vital to ensure they know how to get the best from their staff. It is important that potentially dyslexic employees are approached before aspects of their work result in performance management issues.

Such an approach could be a sensitive suggestion that the kinds of errors in their work have some of the characteristics of dyslexia. Each individual will have a preference to how their dyslexia is referred to and it is imperative that employees are consulted about if, how and when others in the company should be notified of their disability.

Finally, there is funding available to help cover the cost of reasonable adjustments for dyslexic employees. Access to Work (AtW) is a government-funded grant operated through Job Centre Plus and may cover up to around 90% of the costs. Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk for more details.