News and Updates

Walk This Way!

Arco supports Welcome to Yorkshire, the not-for-profit destination marketing organisation championing Yorkshire tourism.

Hull-based safety expert Arco is donating its unrequired IT infrastructure to support not-for-profit organisation Welcome to Yorkshire (WTY). The donation will enable WTY to focus on investing its finances into recovering the county's tourism, worth £9bn to the Yorkshire economy and responsible for nearly a quarter-of-a-million jobs pre-pandemic. Members of the Arco team will also be using their paid volunteering days to help WTY with the installation to ensure a seamless transition to the new infrastructure.

Arco is donating IT equipment that it no longer requires as it upgrades its systems as part of its head office relocation to Hull's Fruit Market. The donation falls at a vital time, as WTY's current infrastructure is aging and in need of critical replacement to mitigate risk to its systems. The donation will save the not-for-profit organisation up to £20,000 and allow it to re-direct its budget to projects supporting Welcome to Yorkshire members suffering throughout and post-pandemic, following the Government guidelines at the time.

WTY plans to use the reclaimed budget to bolster its Walkshire campaign, celebrating Yorkshire's countryside, coast, cities, towns and iconic locations across the county so that visitors can discover its spectacular scenery, history and heritage safely throughout the pandemic.

Simon Richardson, Cyber Security Director at ITogether, introduced the two organisations to facilitate the donation. Simon said:

"We were delighted to be able to bring two of our long-standing customers together. It's great to know the infrastructure will stay in the local region and be recycled into a new investment that will be used for years to come."

James McKenzie, Director of Strategic Delivery at WTY, said:

"This donation will help the region, help the economy and help local businesses to recover from a very challenging period when visitor numbers have been so reduced. It comes at an ideal time as Welcome to Yorkshire has just launched its year-long Walkshire campaign. Over lockdown, people have been limited as to the activities they can enjoy, but we can all explore the beauty of what is on our doorstep, and at the same time underpin Yorkshire as the walking capital of the world."

Daniel Spurgeon, Head of IT at Arco, said:

"Arco is delighted to support Welcome to Yorkshire and recycle our IT infrastructure in such a positive way, and grateful to ITogether for bringing us together. With a 136-year heritage in Hull, it's great to know that we're ensuring continuity for a not-for-profit organisation in our county, whose work ultimately benefits local businesses and residents too. The pandemic has been a difficult time, but I'm confident the more we all rally together, the more we ensure life after the pandemic brings a brighter chapter."

Arco's community panel has donated £5,000 to charity Refuge in support of their mission to protect women and children from violence and abuse. Sadly, domestic violence has been particularly prevalent during lockdown, with demand for Refuge's services rocketing, so the donation comes at a critical time for the charity.

Refuge has been working around the clock to sustain and increase their provision, as well as planning for the potential longer-term increase in need for services that they anticipate over the coming months and even year ahead. They have increased capacity in their National Domestic Abuse Helpline as well as accessibility, by speeding up online functionality including live chat.

Arco's donation will help the charity respond to individual's needs with speed, flexibility and agility; providing lifesaving and life-changing services to all who need support.

Arco remains committed to its Charity and Community support and donates 1% of its pre-tax profit to charity each year. Arco's Community Panel offers colleagues the opportunity to apply for an Arco Community Grant for causes which they are close to. The donation to Refuge follows an application made by Sharon Jakkula, Strategic Insight Specialist at Arco who nominated the charity for funding after being inspired by their work with women and children experiencing domestic violence.

Sharon Jakkula, Strategic Insight Specialist at Arco said:

"I'm delighted that the Community Panel donated to Refuge, a charity whose purpose aligns with our own, to keep people safe. Refuge does amazing work supporting women and children through very tough situations, and it's a sad inevitability that as lockdown progresses, there will be a rise in domestic abuse cases. I'm happy that we've done our bit to help vulnerable people trapped in these situations."

Charly Meehan, Spokesperson for Refuge said:

"We couldn't have done this without support like yours. Thank you for your commitment to our mission: changing society so that no-one has to live in fear of violence or abuse."

Everyone has a fundamental human right to go to work each day and come home to their loved ones safely. Nonetheless, statistics show that in the last year the Construction Industry was hardest hit by fatal injuries (40), followed by Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (20) and Manufacturing (15). This in a year of normal work activity.

Ben Haughton, technical director at Arco Professional Safety Services, speaks out about the escalating dangers industries may face as businesses deal with the ongoing fall-out of COVID-19.

Which Industries Are in Danger of Becoming More Susceptible to Workplace Risks?

Between April and June 2020 alone, over 32 million working days were lost to COVID-19 related absences. In addition, redundancies and fluctuating guidelines have made it increasingly difficult for organisations to provide their workers with training. Movement restrictions, company policies and lockdown have all contributed to a reduction of training over the summer months. Businesses are doing their best to catch up but with the threat of a second wave and tighter restrictions coming into force, it is hard to see how they will keep up with training requirements. Reduced training and a reduction in task based activity (those who have extended time in furlough) will result in skills fade. The possible consequences of this in the high risk industries of confined spaces and working at height are plain. If we are to maintain skill levels in industry, we need to look at other ways of achieving it.

How Can Businesses Manage Rising Threats to Safety?

Alongside contingency plans and 'back to work' responses, health and safety training must be boosted to ensure that a restructured workforce can cope with high-risk environments and inevitable skill gaps that can occur.

It's vital that this training provides workers with the right balance of knowledge and practical skills to be able to deliver their work safely. It is all too tempting for companies to provide their workers with theory only training when social distancing and movement restrictions are in place however the shortfall in practical skills could have severe consequences.

This is not to say that there is no place for training in the virtual world, there is a balance to be struck where it is safe to do so. The workforce needs the confidence to manage their day-to-day tasks safely but also not to be exposed to the increasing risk of contracting COVID-19 by receiving training in the normal classroom setting. We've launched several video conference courses and we are developing VR tools to help organisations keep its workforce safe whilst also maintaining the recommended social distances during COVID-19.

How Has COVID-19 Impacted Training Centres?

We understand that managing health and safety risks can be complicated, time-consuming and demand a level of technical expertise - and resources - that businesses may not have internally. COVID-19 shouldn't stop organisations reaching out for help, equally it doesn't mean that training should stop. Providing practical skills is essential in high-risk industries and so we have adapted our centres to provide attendees with a safe learning environment and the reassurance they need to join critical training programmes.

We've introduced new precautions at all our training centres, such as pre-start COVID questionnaires, non-contact body temperature checks, staggered break times to minimise unnecessary people movement and mixing and the use of larger rooms equipped with enclosure screens to ensure adequate social distancing. Where the physical element is indispensable, in height rescue training, for example, we can still find ways to cut proximity and limit the time spent in close contact with trainers.

As a Result of the Pandemic Has There Been Anything You've Had To Do Differently?

There has been a stark increase in demand for all types of Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers and all first line Covid-19 responders, with a particular focus on Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE). Working with this equipment requires face fit testing and for many, this will be a new procedure, but a critical one, as research has found mask protection can significantly improve with fit-testing and one-to-one training on mask use, providing all correct procedures have been adhered to.

In normal circumstances our national network of face fit test providers can deliver testing at an organisation's site, dramatically reducing the amount of employee down time. However, during the current situation, our team has also been focussed on supporting the NHS, first line responders and other key workers, providing face fit testing, whilst adhering to social distancing and the revised HSE guidelines for providing this service.

We conduct two forms of face fit testing, qualitative and quantitative, both provide an indication on whether a fit has been achieved, the quantitative test being the more sensitive of the two tests. Matching an individual's face shape with a compatible mask and teaching wearers how to ensure a tight seal is achieved is significantly helping to protect frontline workers during this period. We are also looking to utilise some of our 44 retail stores as drop-in clinics to support care workers, dentists, ambulance crews etc with face-fit testing.

For further information, visit Arco Professional Safety Services.

£500,000 Northern Training Facility Has Opened

UK safety expert Arco Professional Safety Services has unveiled its new Safety Centre in Linlithgow, Scotland, expanding its presence in the UK and supporting the safety and welfare of businesses in the region. The new Safety Centre will provide delegates with realistic, practical training that simulates real-life hazards in a controlled environment.

Ideally located between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the new centre offers purpose-built training facilities for multiple high-risk working environments including:

• Working at Height
• Confined Spaces

The centre boasts facilities ranging from a 20-metre-high outdoor mast for Working at Height Training, to an internal confined space training labyrinth including more than 30 metres of traverse capability and a variety of entry points. With a suite of fully equipped training rooms the centre can also accommodate both large and small groups for training, seminars and meetings, including health and safety training, respiratory training and face fit testing.

Arco Professional Safety Services recognises the importance of training delegates in a safe but realistic working environment. Training is relevant and learning in this way is identified as a requirement in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).

The additional centre forms part of Arco's growth strategy, bringing the number of its specialist training centres up to four, with further safety centres in Enfield in the South, Stafford in the Midlands and Warrington in the North West.

Jamie Sadler, Commercial Director, Arco Professional Safety Services, commented on the launch of the Northern Safety Centre:

"You can prepare for the risks you know about. But what about those you don't? We're on a mission to bring about real, long-term cultural change. The launch is a celebration for all us at Arco because the bigger our geographical presence is; the more organisations we can keep safe."

To learn more about the new Safety Centre visit Arco Professional Safety Services or watch the video.

2020 has seen unprecedented demand for PPE, and at Arco we've implemented changes at pace to ensure we deliver on our core purpose, to keep people safe. As a business, we've done everything in our power to ensure continuity of supply for our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article offers a look behind the scenes to demonstrate what we've been doing for our colleagues. Jo Heselton, our Group Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Manager outlined the steps we took as a business to protect our workforce during the pandemic.

Responding at Pace to Official Advice

From the start of the pandemic, the Safety, Health and Environment team constantly anticipated and followed advice from all relevant bodies, including the Government, Public Health England, the NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure we operate in-line with the latest advice.

Assessing the Risk and Implementing Control Measures

Arco conducted thorough risk assessments for all our sites and implemented the suggested control measures immediately to prevent the risk of spreading the virus, and to protect our colleagues. Floor decals and signage were installed to support social distancing, hygiene advice posters were fitted and following Government advice, colleagues were advised to wear face coverings whilst moving around, or in communal areas. We installed hand sanitiser stations across our sites as well as one-way movement systems around buildings and protective barrier screens (where appropriate). Shift patterns were reviewed at our National Distribution Centre to leave 30-minute gaps between shifts to reduce exposure and contact. Enhanced cleaning regimes were established, with areas being cleaned on an hourly rota as well as a full deep clean each evening. We continue to monitor our cleaning processes with the introduction of fogging and surface swabbing in November to determine the efficacy of our cleaning protocols. In addition to steps taken at our sites, face masks and hand sanitiser packages were sent to all employees' homes to protect them and their families.

Communicating Change

With over 1600 employees, communication is vital to advise colleagues of new procedures as well as listening to their own queries, suggestions and concerns and addressing these.

"The most important factor was keeping our colleagues up to date with the latest advice as well as opening a dialogue for colleagues to express concerns to us."

Arco has a dedicated internal comms team which has shared tailored advice for colleagues across all sites, with specific information relevant to their team and way of working.

All updates were shared via email, as well as a dedicated Coronavirus information point on Arco's intranet. The comms team created accessible guides for colleagues with disabilities, as well as translating information for employees whose first language isn't English. Guides were also specifically prepared for colleagues to share with friends and family and Managing Director, David Evison, provided several updates via video link.

Working from Home

Preparations and planning for colleagues working from home began in March, with over 100 laptops purchased prior to Matt Hancock's "work from home if you can" speech to the commons.

Arco's infrastructure team rapidly implemented new remote working technologies, ensuring there was no disruption for customers with colleagues able to work from home. In just 2 weeks, an additional 200 new laptops were sourced, configured and delivered to colleagues working from home alongside monitors, headsets, keyboard/mouse sets, power adapters and network cables.

By the end of March, virtually all office staff were working remotely. 4G Wireless access points and contracts were arranged for colleagues without a suitable home connection, and we have developed an ongoing scheme enabling colleagues to request additional kit, including desks and chairs, to enable them to work from home effectively and safely.

Getting Back to Work

Once retail stores were permitted to reopen, we ran a one-week re-boarding for retail staff, pausing, and taking the time to ensure that the correct procedures were in place to protect colleagues and customers. A member of the SHE team also conducted separate phone calls with all 43 retail stores to enable a virtual COVID secure check before re-opening.

All colleagues returning to Arco sites will be required to be re-boarded back to the business, to ensure we can continue to operate safely, and in turn keep our customers safe.

Colleague Wellbeing

Arco recognises the challenges that come with working from home including caring for dependents, home schooling and balancing work and personal life. Mental health and wellbeing have always been a priority, but this was a priority once colleagues were no longer physically working together.

Arco already had 100 trained mental health first aiders spread across all areas of the business. Jo commented "implementing our mental first aiders scheme was a big focus for us last year and they've been brilliant at supporting colleagues throughout the pandemic, listening signposting them to information and further support." Arco keeps its wellbeing hub updated with mindfulness tips, FAQs, and contact information from our Occupational Health Advisors, Health Assured with our Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential phone-line support, a service which is available to all Arco colleagues as well as immediate family.

What Arco Has Learned, and What's in Store for the Future

As Health and Safety experts, colleague as well as customer wellbeing is something we take very seriously, and we ensure one does not come at the cost of the other.

We are constantly updating our policies in-line with the latest advice to help keep colleagues safe. With a new head office under construction in Blackfriargate, Hull, we're designing office layouts and work rotas to ensure that social distancing can be maintained when the government advises it's safe to return to working from a shared facility.