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ISSUE 27.5

Business Information for Local and Central Government

ACTIVE TRAVEL

A HEALTHY TRAVEL PLAN Why increasing walkability in neighbourhoods and encouraging healthy modes of transport is more important than ever before

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TERRORISM IN LONDON

RE-EVALUATING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF KNIFE ATTACKS We can all recall several well documented knife attacks in London in recent years. But why are these vicious and merciless individuals turning more and more to edged weapon? Robert Kaiser explores Before I go into more detailed aspects of knife crimes, attacks and subsequent injuries, please let me state one single thing that is of utmost importance when facing anyone with a knife, regardless of the person’s appearance.

There are a handful of highly trained people out there that could disarm you, take your knife and stab you several times before you have realised you weren’t holding the knife anymore, So, if you are facing someone threating you with an edged weapon, then running away is a truly good option you might wish to take. We must understand that a hardly noticeable one-inch cut can potentially, with no trouble, lead to rapid blood loss and shock, and subsequently be the final curtain in someone’s life.

However, I also fully understand that running away is not always possible. This fact might most likely be dictated by two factors, one being your environment and the other your precise occupation. I believe that you or your officers belong to that group of professionals.

If that’s the case, then please allow me to help you re-evaluate your current understanding of knife attacks and its subsequent injuries.

WHY ARE SO MANY TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS TURNING TO EDGED WEAPON? The U.S. publication Law Enforcement Today published an article on 2 October 2019, titled: ‘FBI: More people killed with knives, hammers, clubs and even feet than rifles in 2018’. The FBI is making very clear that edged weapons represent a greater danger in today’s society than firearms. A statement reads: “Nearly four times as many people were stabbed to death as killed with rifles in 2017.”

Over recent years we can clearly see a massive rise in the most violent type of knife attacks in countries around the world. In 2016, two soldiers were attacked by a man with a knife in Belgium, and in 2018 a prisoner on a day holiday stabbed two police officers On the 20 July 2018, at least 14 people have reportedly been wounded in a knife attack on a bus in Germany.

On the 13 May 2018, four people were injured and one was killed when a

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knife-wielding assailant shouting ‘Allahu akbar’ attacked them in France. Two students stabbed a policeman to death in Italy in July 2019 after an alleged drug deal went wrong.

And we all will remember the 29 November 2019, when five people were stabbed (two fatally) by Usman Khan in Central London.

This was an attack with the most basic plan, which could easily be replicated by literally anyone whose intentions it is to inflict death and injury. Khan’s weapons of choice were two knives. He targeted a well-attended conference, which was held in the Fishmongers Hall to maximise the damage he could cause to the multiple victims in an enclosed space, with the intention to continue to so in the packed area of London Bridge.

I believe we all can recall several other well documented knife attacks in London in recent years. But back to the question of why those vicious and merciless individuals turn more and more to edged weapon.

Well, obtaining, selling or buying firearms, exporting or importing firearms, and carrying or transporting them comes with a real risk these days. Due to the threat of global terrorism, Intelligence Services and Law Enforcement Agencies around the world

COUNTER TERROR BUSINESS MAGAZINE | ISSUE 41

are keeping a very close eye on everything that is capable of firing rounds aiming to kill people. The risk of being arrested during the planning stages of an attack is just too high for most terrorists or criminals. Due to these factor and the UK’s CONTEST strategy of the ‘four P’s’ Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare countering the causes and effects of terrorism, it has become extremely difficult for terrorists to plan and execute a large-scale attack here in the UK. However, London is an extremely busy capital city and determined terrorists have learned to understand that keeping a low profile, working alone, staying under the intelligence radar during the planning stage, choosing a weapon which will go unnoticed and picking a busy location will ultimately increase their chances of ‘success’. They no longer require bombs or full-automatic weapons. Edged weapons, knives and machetes have become the weapon of choice for many so called ‘lone-wolf’ attackers, partly due the low planning required (whether against an individual or mass group).

We also need to accept that knives are commonly available, and this is not going to change, no matter what the law says

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE or will say in the future. We cannot stop people from walking into the kitchen or the local hardware store, grabbing a knife and randomly stabbing other human beings. If one has the intentions to cause harm to others using an edged weapon, then Intelligence Services and Law Enforcement Agencies will always struggle to prevent such atrocity.

Knives are also much more concealable which reduces the risk of detection prior to any planned attack, and no real training is required if one’s intention is to randomly attack, harm and kill innocent people. Firing a gun and hitting moving targets from a reasonable distance is not as easy as many might believe. Grabbing a well concealed knife and randomly stabbing people in a confined space is unfortunately ‘simple’.

Establishing the REAL operational risks It is an unquestionable fact that operational risks and threats have partly been established based on an incorrect understanding of knife attacks, the incorrect reporting of it, as well as incorrect conclusion or interpretation of medical statements.

Historically ‘knife injuries’ have been reported as ‘stab injuries’, hence we have been made to misbelieve that both mean the very same.

This means one could argue the result of some risk assessments can be deemed as ‘questionable’, which subsequently at that time would have highlighted a need for stab resistant body armour in order to mitigate that precise risk. But is that really all that clear and simple?

Ian Horsfall and Mathew Arnold, of the Impact and Armour Group within the Department of Engineering and Applied Science at Cranfield University (Defence Academy of the United Kingdom) wrote a comprehensive piece on ‘Protecting From Slash Knife Attacks’.

A statement within this article reads: “A retrospective survey of hospital admissions data that contributed to the development of the standard suggested that 63 per cent of wounds attributable to sharp edged weapons were SLASH events.”

The intention of an attacker was most likely and will most likely always be to stab a victim, however, due to the motion and movement of both the attacker and the defending person that attack is most likely to result in a slash injury!

The Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine featured an exceptionally interesting article

by A. Bleetman, C. H. Watson, I. Horsfall and S. M. Champion in 2003, titled: ‘Wounding patterns and human performance in knife attacks: optimising the protection provided by knife-resistant body armour’. The following is an extract from this article: “Knife wounds to the chest comprised less than a quarter of knife wounds in the victims of edged weapon assault described in this study.

Therefore, most stab wounds will not be prevented by current armour systems.”

The article continues stating: “The high incidence of serious injury to the left loin is perhaps influenced by the defensive stance of the victim, who has presented the nondominant side of the body towards the assailant… it is clear from the distribution

of wounds in real-life knife attacks that antislash protection is required for the arms, neck, shoulders, and thighs. It will clearly not be possible to provide armour of any standard to protect the face and head for routine wear.”

Of course, homeland security as well as private security professionals in London should be issued with conventional body armour or stab resistant vests. However, these statements and findings clearly highlight an additional operational need for slash resistant clothing, effectively protecting key arteries, muscle and tendons from laceration.

The cutting of a key artery can, in fact will most likely lead to rapid blood loss, subsequent shock and ultimate death. The cutting of a specific muscle or tendon can lead to immediate immobility and leave the officer in a totally defenceless position.

Slash resistant clothing can make a real difference. Offering tested, thoroughly field tested and dependable cut protection they significantly improve the personal safety of those who protect us, our infrastructure and events.

From the point of the employer, cut injuries can lead to severe legal and financial repercussions. From the point of the injured professional, and depending on the level of cut injury, it can also lead to long-lasting emotional scars, ongoing distress, physical pain, and in the very worst-case scenario, death.

Unless they have undergone extensive edged weapon training, most frontline professionals will, by instinct, lift their arms and hands during a potential hostile situation, in order to protect the face and head.

This is nothing to be ashamed of, it is normal, and only highly trained operators would respond differently and more effectively.

However, we must understand that this very natural reaction alone will expose extremely vulnerable areas, and this is precisely where

slash resistant clothing can make a potentially lifesaving difference to the wearer.

(Video Url: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EDBPMAn0ChI) RISK ASSESSMENTS Understanding the fact that being ‘slashed’ is a real operational risk and the fact that slash resistant clothing (which does not look confrontational, offensive or authoritative) is mitigating this specific risk, should most certainly be considered when conducting any future risk assessments.

Each policing unit in the UK has a unique job to do and as a result there are numerous uniform entitlements for specialist roles.

Requests for other items of clothing might however require the completion of another risk assessment for the activity carried out by the specialist unit, which should be endorsed by the appropriate Commander and forwarded to ‘Clothing and Equipment Group’ for consideration.

Frontline professionals must of course dress appropriately for their specific job role, especially individuals engaged in covert operations where their identity must be concealed may dress to suit the circumstances. Wearing slash resistant clothing is precisely that, ‘dressing appropriately’. L

FURTHER INFORMATION www.ppss-group.com

ISSUE 41 | COUNTER TERROR BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Back to work and back to a new normal Office Depot has the experience and expertise to help your organisation navigate the new normal, whether that be returning to old methods of working or creating new ones

looking for sustainable product switch alternatives, optimising your delivery scheduling or rationalising similar products into a smaller inventory.

We can simplify your indirect procurement It is your budget and we can help ensure you stay in control by setting up approvers and approval limits. We can also work with you to simplify your life, for example, identifying opportunities to consolidate your orders, whether that be improving the efficiency of existing orders or the consolidation of suppliers.

With the breadth of our service and product range we will be able to help you reduce the complexity of supply, reducing admin, reducing costs and reducing transportation impacts on the planet – one supplier, one invoice, one delivery.

We can help you meet your CSR agenda Along with the 2,000 products in our range that have externally verified environmental attributes, we take several steps to care of our environment. We operate a chain of custody for our entire product range and a package reduction programme. We also send none of our waste to landfill, resulting in 90 per cent of it being recycled and all of our deliveries are carbon neutral through carbon offset schemes.

In 2020 we launched our CSR targets out to 2025. It is important to us to set stretching, real targets, that cover both environmental and social issues. We have set four targets, taking inspiration from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

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Office Depot, we can help you navigate the new normal As restrictions lift, Office Depot can help your organisation navigate the new normal.

This is unchartered territory for all of us and every organisation is figuring out how to ensure customers, colleagues and visitors are kept safe. Whether you are looking for signage, screens, or queue management systems to ensure social distancing, those essential products to get offices back up and running, or ergonomic products to assist home workers, Office Depot can help you get back to work efficiently and effectively wherever that work may be.

What inspires us? ...Simple – we help our customers create great workplaces.

This passion has fuelled our work, our thinking and our people for decades and still excites us today. We’ve always been an expert in workplace solutions. But these days, we’re far more than just paper and pens. We have transformed and evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers and we are now proud to call ourselves a total business solutions provider.

We are much more than just paper and pens While we still provide quality office supplies and print management, we now also provide print and marketing solutions; cleaning, hygiene and catering solutions; furniture, interiors and signage. We also provide training in everything from leadership and management skills, HGV and forklift licences to health and safety and first aid.

We can personalise our offering to your needs Our experience working with governmental bodies gives us a real insight into the products and services needed for the challenges that you face. That said, we get that you are unique and we can tailor our products and solutions to meet your needs, whether that be your own personalised catalogues and product listings to bespoke reporting, we will partner with you to develop a proposition that works for you.

Through our bespoke reporting, your account manager can work with you to identify and monitor areas of potential improvement on your indirect purchasing, for example reducing low value orders,

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Doubling the amount we give to charities annually by 2025 Donating 3,000 volunteering hours annually by 2025 Doubling our sustainable product mix to 40 per cent by 2025 Reducing our carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2025 vs 2019

You can buy from us with confidence Our scale means that you can buy from us with confidence. Our extensive distribution network ensures that the majority of mail order products are available on the next working day. We also provide a 30-day money back guarantee returns/collections service, giving you piece of mind and letting you get on with the thousands of other task you need to get done.

Talk to us We’ve changed the shape of what an office supplies partner looks like - but this is just the beginning. To find out more about how Office Depot can help you just contact us today… L FURTHER INFORMATION Contact Ellie Hendrey: Tel: +44 (0) 7929 780909 ellie.hendrey@officedepot.eu www.whyofficedepot.co.uk

Providing the confidence and capability to adopt the cloud

A common challenge for our customers has been how to provision new or replace faulty devices for staff working from home with no access to office locations.

The answer to this conundrum according to Microsoft is Autopilot; a collection of technologies to facilitate the configuration of devices sent direct from manufacturer to end user with only an active internet connection and an Azure AD user account for that out-of-box experience (OOBE). We’ve been looking closely at Autopilot for the last few years waiting for the solution to mature to a level we feel comfortable with. “So is it

ready?” I hear you ask, well depending on your requirements the answer is now more frequently a ‘yes’ rather than ‘no’ or ‘not quite’.

For organisations with no Active Directory, strict security requirements and who haven’t invested in SCCM it can be an excellent fit. It’s a cost-effective solution to provide organisations with cloud platform to enrol devices direct from manufacturer whilst maintaining cenralised configuration and control.

For those organisation whom it’s been a step to far to date there are options to leverage Autopilot as an initial stepping stone to providing a full corporate managed device

using your existing management infrastructure whilst providing the end user with that nice out-of-the-box (OOBE)experience they are looking for. Oh, and the bonus is that they can rebuild their own device if they experience a fault from home at any time!

Our solutions use a combination of Microsoft Autopilot and Fortinet to enable devices to ship direct to staff, the configuration process automatically starts and runs through until the users prompted to login. At this point a secure VPN connection is established and the device performs some final configuration ensuring the device operates as any other corporate device they are used to. Just as if your friendly deskside engineer has handed it over to you ready to go with all the software you need installed!

If you’re looking for some advice and guidance on how you could leverage AutoPilot within your organisation, you’re interested in seeing a demo or you want to discuss how we overcame some of the short comings of AutoPilot to meet our customers needs the please get in touch. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01438 567551 info@ogelit.com www.ogelit.com

Advertisement Feature

Are your lifts (social distancing) safe?

AVIRE is a market leading manufacturer of advanced lift solutions that are installed across the globe, connecting and protecting people through products and services. COVID-19 has impacted on everyone in unprecedented ways, not least the way we behave and interact with people in day to day life. Buildings are now expected to adapt and promote this new behaviour by finding ways to run safely and efficiently. AVIRE has engineered a system designed to help encourage social distancing and ultimately protect lift users.

Social distancing has potentially become the most used term of 2020, and with the re-opening of buildings and the need to re-adjust to a ‘new normal’ it is a vital behaviour that will be a part of daily life for quite a while to come. Lifts have long been equipped with an overload alarm to ensure that if the maximum weight limit is exceeded the lift will not move. However, we have now moved into a new time where an overloaded lift is not only defined by a weight limit, but also the maximum number of people allowed within the lift car whilst still maintaining social distancing.

Lifts are a key area of risk due to the enclosed space, and currently the only way a building manager can promote social distancing within their lifts is by using signage that states how many people should be in the lift at one time, or alternatively by ensuring

a member of staff is present to manually manage the amount of people entering. These solutions are often either ignored by impatient passengers or are costly. Installing ESD is a cost-effective way to enforce social distancing and reduce risk of litigation.

ESD promotes social distancing using a programmable maximum occupancy level for each lift. The system delivers audible messages to the passengers when the lift is over-occupied and slows the operation of the lift. Slowing down the lift when it is mis-used can help to change behaviour patterns, encouraging users to take alternative routes instead of crowding a lift and practise safe social distancing. Once the occupancy level is acceptable the lift will resume its normal function.

What can the Avire ESD do for you?

• Limit the occupancy of your lifts • ESD temporarily holds doors if occupancy level has been exceeded • People counting capability • Works in all lifts • Gives audio feedback to passengers when occupancy level is reached • Save time and money whilst also adding to your toolkit for safety and therefore reduce risk of litigation

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Facilities management providers like ISS play crucial roles in delivering welcoming and safe environments. From enhanced touchpoint cleaning, to porters who can setup classrooms in a socially distanced manner, user safety is paramount for ISS one-way systems, washing hands, and sanitising workstations before and after use.

We can also bring best practice from other institutions, such as banking or healthcare.

We at ISS are the largest supplier of Soft FM to the NHS – 11,000 healthcare staff look after over three million square metres of hospital estate across the country. At the Nightingale Hospital London, we combined a healthcare cleaning solution with our newly created COVID-19 customer confidence platform to successfully set up and run a full Soft FM service in just ten days.

The education sector is currently feeling the impact of significant change. Initially the pandemic caused a shift from in-person, oncampus classroom learning to online, digital classes. But now that exam results are being debated and clearing processes followed, universities and schools are finalising their numbers and readying their estates for the upcoming academic year. Facilities management providers like ISS play crucial roles in delivering welcoming and safe environments – by partnering with our clients, our placemaking solutions reconnect pupils and teachers with their places to make this new world work better.

Returning to learning by balancing virtual with in-person lessons Remote learning has been the primary way of studying over the last few months, but with establishments planning to reopen in full, the whole industry is exploring methods for students to come back in person. As quick as the shift was towards e-learning, there is now a perceptible return to in-person learning – pupils and parents want value for money that they feel isn’t achievable outside the physical classroom. And while generation Z is well versed in forming strong online communities, courses with heavily practical elements need a controlled learning environment with experts on-hand to guide and mentor.

There is also the student experience to consider, the social interactions that form lifelong friendships during this formative period in our lives. We play a role in this – our FM services provide places that think, work and give to support students form these connections and make memories. It’s more than learning and knowledge imparted, it’s a way of life through experiences shared.

For the international student community, there is the added uncertainty of travelling to

consider. Universities like Middlesex University have a large contingent of students that travel to their campuses from abroad. Here, our highly visible partnership with the university helps provide a safe and secure environment that fosters learning and protects the students.

A flexible labour model to support the uncertainty in student numbers Exam results and the subsequent clearing process make for a particularly unclear and turbulent summer this year, and the lower student numbers and reforms of previous years is still keenly felt. With the pace of economic recovery ranging from 18 months to three years, we proactively support these vitally important, world-class institutions navigate the unknown.

We constantly flex our operational models to help our institutions best prepare for reopening.

In Scotland, we are already supporting students through their further education journey at Edinburgh College. Our partnership with Wigan Council’s 50 schools and colleges – which we previously only cleaned before and after the school day – is now operating on enhanced cleaning of touchpoints in between classes as well. But there is a balance to be found – an additional workforce costs money, so our clients need confidence in our solutions before authorising the additional expense.

An integrated approach to facilities services The benefit of our approach as an integrated services provider is that we can influence multiple services throughout the entire estate.

From enhanced touchpoint cleaning, to porters who can setup classrooms in a socially distanced manner, our priority is user safety.

Keeping the environment hygienic is everyone’s responsibility and it is for us in FM to lead the way, educating our end customers on following

Technology to keep learning environments safe and hygienic We are utilising new technology to help our education partners prepare their sites for the new academic year, at whatever capacity appropriate. We provide extra cleaning on high-touch surfaces, using chemicals proven to reduce sources of infection. To speed up touchpoint cleaning, we are investigating the use of spray guns for evenly distributing cleaning chemicals on surfaces – the potential for this to reduce a 15-minute room clean to five minutes will help lower our labour costs for our clients.

Our monitoring technology measures surface cleanliness and gives our clients more confidence in our solutions. And while we are putting further preventative measures in place, we are still prepared for instances of localised outbreak and lockdown. Through our national supply chain, we have access to Clorox equipment so that we can quickly respond to any deep cleaning requirements.

Our learning institutions are adapting daily, to support their communities in unprecedented ways. As a trusted partner, we can help education institutions stabilise, reopen and evolve for the future. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.uk.issowlrd.com enquires@uk.issworld.com

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A safe environment to return to this September

Electric Vehicle Special Written by Jamie Hamilton, head of electric vehicles at Deloitte

EV MARKET

Electric vehicles expected to account for a third of the market by 2030 Despite the impact of Covid-19, the electric vehicle market’s collective accomplishments over the past two years signal a pattern of ongoing growth, which is expected to continue over the course of the next decade. Jamie Hamilton, head of electric vehicles at Deloitte, explains further Before the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the automotive industry, electric vehicles (EVs) were moving steadily into the spotlight.

So much so, a milestone was reached in 2019 when the combined annual sales of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles tipped over the twomillion-vehicle mark for the first time.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, the EV market’s collective accomplishments over the past two years signal a pattern of ongoing growth, which is expected to continue over the course of the next decade.

In Deloitte’s latest insight report, our global EV forecast is for a compound annual growth rate of 29 per cent achieved over the next ten years. This would see total EV sales growing from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million in 2025, then reaching 31.1 million by 2030. On this trajectory, EVs would secure approximately 32 per cent of the total market share for annual new car sales by the end of the decade.

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when considering the switch to full electric.

The UK will be at the forefront Major investment in infrastructure and of the electric revolution overcoming consumer concerns around the In the UK, a mix of favourable government availability and accessibility of charging policies and greater consumer awareness facilities is vital in order for the UK on climate change have been to keep pace with the leading catalysts for EV growth to EV regions. However, once the date. With ambitions to E ncoura necessary infrastructure is meet wider net zero g uptake ing in position, other factors emissions by 2050, and of electric mean that the UK is well a proposed ban on vehicles placed to see demand the sale of polluting w ithin th shift beyond early vehicles brought e fleet market adopters, reaching wider forward to 2035, w i driving ll be a key segments of the market the stage is set for force o and potentially surpass further adoption. f EV growth the 32 per cent global EV Deloitte’s analysis in market share by 2030. found that 50 per cent the UK of UK consumers would Companies have an consider an EV as their next important role to play vehicle purchase. However, 33 Sales of new cars to businesses represents per cent indicate that a lack of charging a significant proportion of all cars sold, infrastructure remains the greatest concern

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net/commercial

standing at 62 per cent of all new cars sold in the UK in 2019. Encouraging uptake within the fleet market will therefore be a key driving force of EV growth in the UK. We are already seeing many businesses support the transition to electric. Having a clearly defined ‘purpose’ continues to top of the corporate agenda, with an increasing number of companies seeking to differentiate and demonstrate how they can act as a force for positive change. With travel often a major, and very visible, contributor of businesses emissions, more are considering how they can support a shift to electric vehicles. Traditional company car schemes are often seen as one policy ripe for reinvention, with companies finding that there are not only emissions savings, but also cost savings and improved employee satisfaction through the provision of cash and or broader mobility options.

Increasing business commitment to EVs is demonstrated through the numbers signing up to the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative; a public pledge to accelerate the transition to electric. To date, 67 companies from across the world and differing industries have signed up, representing over US$880 billion in revenue and 3.4 million employees.

EVs more attractive due to financial incentives The reduced environmental impact of EVs make their widespread adoption a necessary step towards achieving the UK’s climate change goals. In addition to pledging to reduce emissions as part of the Paris Agreement, the UK has also committed to a ‘net zero’ target for greenhouse gasses by 2050. To achieve this, emissions from across the transport industry, now the highest emitting sector in the UK, will need to be tackled. Targeting corporate fleets has the potential to displace the maximum amount of fossil-driven miles, making these ‘net-zero’ targets more achievable.

In order to encourage fleet transition to electric, favourable tax rates have been introduced in the UK that make EVs more financially appealing. New company car tax rates that came into effect from April 2020 have seen the lowest rate of company car tax available on electric vehicles reduced from 16 per cent to 0 per cent.

Earlier this year, companies and their employees were given clarity over the length of time that this incentive would be available as the government confirmed that the maximum rate of tax for fully electric cars will be limited to just two per cent in the next five years.

As a result, businesses can currently offer EVs to employees cheaper than petrol or diesel equivalents, resulting in major financial benefits to both the employee and the company, whilst also contributing to the reduction of businesses’ environmental impact.

Based on our calculations, an employee could experience savings of 95 per cent and above over a four-year period by choosing an EV as their next company car instead of a diesel of comparative value. Meanwhile, a company operating a large fleet (of 900 vehicles

Main image and below: Hyundai Kona Electric

Electric Vehicle Special

Sponsored by

In order to encourage fleet transition to electric, favourable tax rates have been introduced in the UK that make electric vehicles more financially appealing or more) could benefit from savings in excess of £1.9 million annually by changing the profile of their fleet to electric.

Transitioning your fleet to electric requires careful planning The tax rates available on EVs offer an opportunity for businesses to achieve their emission and sustainability commitments, whilst also realising considerable monetary savings. Although uptake of the scheme has been slowed by COVID-19, we expect it to be an increasingly attractive option for employers and employees in the future.

There are several factors businesses should consider before making wholesale changes to their employee benefits and mobility schemes. One such consideration is the viability of using EVs if employees are required to travel long distances on a regular basis, with ‘range anxiety’ superseding the cost benefits offered by this scheme. Another is the fact that most businesses, currently, do not yet have the infrastructure in place to support a large switch to EV. Significant improvements will be required to make this viable in many workplaces, including investment in on-site charging points.

From an HR perspective, it is also important to consider whether salary sacrifice for EVs will actually work as an attractive benefit

and a way of switching people from older private cars to newer EV company cars.

Given the potential level of savings available, businesses should consider the way in which they provide EVs in order to share savings with employees and maximise the potential benefits of any new arrangements.

From a financial perspective, changing the profile of a fleet to electric is appealing.

But with the majority of savings currently coming from tax and social security efficiencies, many businesses will need to seek out specialist tax advice to maximise their benefits and ensure they are compliant. Fleet providers will also need to consider the structure of their portfolio in the short to medium term as EV residuals normalise. A large take up of EV could bring added risk to their ability to achieve desired residual values.

Once these, and other factors are taken into account, then businesses can look to develop their longer-term fleet and EV strategy in partnership with experts to ensure that it will be both cost effective and deliver on wider operational, employee and environmental objectives. L FURTHER INFORMATION www2.deloitte.com

September 2020 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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Expert Panel: Pandemic Recovery

EXPERT PANEL PANDEMIC RECOVERY With Covid-19 still in the community, Education Business gathers the views of a range of experts on how schools can move forwards, to ensure they are as safe as possible for pupils and staff, and to ensure pupils can catch up on lost learning Brian Warren, managing director, Nviro Brian is the managing director of Nviro, a leading provider of cleaning and hygiene services. With a background in the education sector, he is passionate, driven, and caring in aligning staff and customers with a common purpose of providing safe, clean, and hygienic environments in which everyone can thrive.

Andrew Cameron, owner and founder, Intelligent Facility Solutions and To the Pump Sheffield-based businessman, Andrew Cameron, founded Intelligent Hand Dryers in 2012 when he discovered a gap in the market for environmentally-friendly washroom solutions and hand drying in commercial premises and educational institutions. During the pandemic, Andrew and his team launched a new brand, To the Pump, to help organisations reopen their businesses responsibly, efficiently and cost effectively.

Victoria Short, managing director – Randstad Public Services With over 20 years of experience in the Randstad Group, Victoria Short heads up Randstad’s busy public services division. Her expertise lies in leading the way in the growing area of managed service provision and flexible labour resource management.

Chris Smith, head of community, Kajima Community Kajima Community provide lettings solutions to schools across the UK. Their solutions are designed to help venues not only to maximise the income from their facilities but to use the spaces to provide a hub for the local community and support local activity providers. Chris Smith has over 16 years’ experience of the school lettings market as well as previous experience in health and sports development.

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With coronavirus (COVID-19) still a real threat, schools have re-opened with new safety measures in place. They’ve had the difficult task of balancing risk management while still providing a full educational experience for children and young people.

This is all the more important given that 98 per cent of teachers believe their pupils are behind where they would normally expect them to be, according to a recent NFER report.

While class bubbles are no longer in place, school are still required to minimise the number of contacts that a pupil has during the school day. This is generally done by keeping children in year group ‘bubbles’.

Staggered drop-offs and pick-ups have also been implemented, to reduce the amount of parents on site at one time, as well as one way systems.

“The Department of Education have outlined a set of actions that all schools can take,” comments Victoria Short, managing director at Randstad Public Services.

“Encouraging good respiratory hygiene will be key with the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach, amongst other hygiene measures.

“Something else to be considered is to have consistent groups or ‘bubbles’ of pupils and teachers. This will help minimise transmissions and also make it quicker and easier to identify who may need to be tested if a case does arise.

“Even though social distancing between pupils may be difficult to achieve, schools can still look to make minor adjustments to support distancing. For example, changing the seating arrangements and only keeping daily use furniture within the classroom to allow more space.”

Hand washing, hygiene and cleaning is central to the safe operation of schools in Covid times, as explained by Andrew Cameron, owner and founder of Intelligent Facility Solutions and To the Pump: “When it comes to official advice on reducing the spread of coronavirus, hygiene is at the very top of the list. WHO recommends regular washing and thoroughly drying the hands using either paper towels or a warm hand dryer, or using alcohol based hand sanitiser to kill any viruses on the hands.

“It’s critical that schools provide sufficient facilities and supplies in order to maintain the required hygiene standards, which means plenty of hand sanitiser stations around

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | www.educationbusinessuk.net

Expert Panel: Pandemic Recovery

the building and sufficient soap and drying facilities - empty dispensers are not an option if headteachers want to keep their students safe.

“Hand sanitisers at every entrance, exit and high-traffic points might be something we’re used to seeing in medical environments, but this now has to become the norm for schools in the long term. Staff and students must adopt not just different habits, but a new, long-lasting mindset towards hygiene.”

Properly drying hands is an essential part of pupils’ hand hygiene routine. Andrew advises schools to consider swaping expensive and messy paper towels, that often create cross contamination points when reaching in to extract blocked paper dispensers, for touch free, low cost, HEPA filtered air hand dryers. “Unlike paper, hand dryers cause very little environmental damage and never run out,” says Andrew.

Looking long term, Andrew believes that school budgets must be readjusted to allow improved hygiene practices to continue as an ongoing strategy, not just a temporary ramp-up to get through the pandemic.

Clear and succinct communication around personal hygiene is essential, as well as making it fun for younger pupils, believes Brian Warren, managing director of Nviro. He explains: “From conversations with our clients and in our experience, positive messaging through signage, posters, and stickers is a great way of reminding people of new hygiene measures.

“Song and ‘gamification’ of hand-washing and social distancing may help to keep students, particularly younger ones, engaged.

“It’s also really important that teachers and school leaders pave that way and demonstrate these measures to the children – setting an example will help the culture change.”

Cleaning Cleaning is a vital component in the fight against coronavirus. But how exactly should cleaning be conducted during a pandemic?

Brian Warren from Nviro shares some advice: “The British Institute of Cleaning Science recommends a higher frequency of cleaning for touchpoints – door handles, light-switches, and other high-traffic areas. An increased hygiene solution is the best way to mitigate the risk of infection, which can take several formats. Additional operatives can be resourced to clean touchpoints and routinely disinfect hygiene-critical areas, ensuring potential contaminates are regularly and effectively removed from surfaces that children come into contact with throughout the school day.

Innovation such as electrostatic spraying also enables the cleaning operation to be enhanced to further reduce the risk of transmission.”

Technology too can plan its part in cleaning. Brian Warren explains: “Ensuring environments are safe and hygienic is essential and innovative testing technology can be used to monitor hygiene levels. ATP testing works by assessing levels of living organisms on a surface using swabbing and ultraviolet technologies. This means cleaning providers can carefully monitor the effectiveness of cleaning and resource appropriately to target key areas that might pose a greater risk of transmission.

“Schools are rightly looking for reassurance from their cleaning providers that their environments are safe, and in addition to ATP testing we have been using a newto-market PH spray to monitor hygiene.

The spray uses a colour-changing solution to establish if surfaces have been fully disinfected and sanitised. A robust hygiene

monitoring system is an important measure in maintaining safe environments.”

Andrew Cameron adds that cleaning can be supported with UV air sterilisers which can kill up-to 98.11 per cent of odour causing bacteria and viruses in air and on surfaces.

“With no filters to change and minimal maintenance, the UV sterilisers provide an easy, environmentally friendly solution that reduces the need for consumable chemicals whilst supplying 24/7 air and surface sterilisation using a technology which creates powerful disinfectants of ultraviolet light, ozone, plasma and negatively-charged ions. All of which already exist in nature,” Andrew says.

Staff and recruitment challenges During lockdown, more people were looking at teaching as a potential career, perhaps because it is seen as a secure job amid the economic and job uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

The charity Now Teach reported a 70 per cent rise in numbers of applications in people wishing to become teachers under lockdown.

But with lockdown in place and social distancing a requirement, the recruitment of teachers and support staff may have been a challenge for some schools.

According analysis by SchoolDash, published in a joint paper with the Gatsby Foundation and Teacher Tapp, this year’s recruiting season has been “dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures”.

So how can schools overcome these challenges? Victoria Short comments: “Due to the physical barriers that have been in place since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, many schools have had to resort to recruiting remotely over the summer period. Like all other organisations, schools have been forced to E Issue 25.5 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Expert Panel: Pandemic Recovery

 adapt at speed to a new way of remote working and communicating.

“Using supply teachers may also have been a concern due to the risk of transmission, however as long as you take the relevant precautions and ensure any new member of staff coming into your school is aware of your safety protocols, supply teachers can play a key role within your school team amongst permanent staff.

“Within my own team of recruiters, we have ensured all our tutors, teachers and support staff have completed mandatory Covid awareness training in line with government guidelines. Furthermore, we can also let our schools know exactly where anyone coming to work in their school has been in the previous two weeks, supporting the school bubbles.”

It may be mandatory for schools to open, but staff may still be concerned about coming back to work. So how can schools reassure staff about coming into work during the ongoing pandemic?

Victoria Short said: “Communication will be key between all the stakeholders and particularly staff, to ensure they feel more comfortable to return to school. School leaders

will need to ensure staff are fully aware of the additional measures the school has in place for everyone’s safety. There may also be a need for individual conversations with certain staff members who are concerned about returning.

“The current situation may be making some individuals more anxious than others and it is vital that as schools and employers, we keep a focus on mental health and are supporting the wellbeing of our staff where we can.

At Randstad, we provide our candidates with access to a mobile app where they can quickly connect with a qualified counsellor via a telephone helpline and confidentially discuss any personal or work related issues.”

Third party use of facilities Schools also need to ensure that organisations using their facilities out of hours are adhering to Coronavirus safety guidance. Chris Smith, head of community at Kajima Community, explains how: “At present, we are following, and advising our partner schools to follow, the latest government advice around group sizes for activities. Schools under our BookingsGuru service can be confident that we are liaising regularly with activity providers, on their behalf,

to ensure that guidelines are being adhered to. In addition we’re asking all hirers returning to our schools to carry out additional risk assessments and we’ve amended our codes of conduct and terms of hire to ensure robust procedures are in place to manage the safe return of activities. Class times will also be staggered to allow safe access and egress from venues.”

Those renting school facilities also need to ensure robust cleaning procedures are followed.

Chris Smith explains: “We’re providing all of our schools with a COVID-19 Cleaning Guide which outlines additional steps which should be taken to ensure facilities are clean and safe to use. This includes more regular and thorough cleaning of communal areas, prohibiting access to changing facilities, cleaning of ‘high-risk’ touch points after each use of the space and restricting the use of certain types of equipment (those which cannot be easily cleaned, such as upholstered furniture).

“We’ve also introduced sanitising stations across our own schools and advised our partner schools to ensure this is in place at their sites too. Our site staff have received additional training around new cleaning protocols and we’ve introduced the use of special sanitising fogging machines to completely sterilise entire spaces over-night, ready for use by the school the following day.”

It’s important that those using school facilities after hours adhere to government guidelines when it comes to hygiene. Chris Smith comments on the steps Kajima Community has taken: “Community activities across our sites involve users of all ages and class sizes have been reduced with additional measures put in place to ensure good hygiene. Our principal customers are encouraged to communicate these new protocols to their users. In addition, as well as providing sanitising gel for customers on site we actively encourage our customers to bring their own to maintain maximum hygiene standards.

“The use of signage to remind users about their own personal hygiene as well as verbal reminders at the start and end of classes ensures good house-keeping. It is important that all users feel safe inside the schools and they see that staff are actively monitoring compliance of others that are sharing the communal spaces.”

Ensuring there’s a Plan B Schools may be open to all pupils now, but there is still a high possibility of disruption to learning, for example, if pupils are self isolating, there are local lockdowns, or individual schools have to close due to positive cases.

Schools are therefore expected to have a remote learning plan in place to support those that need to learn from home. So how can schools prepare so teaching can continue?

Victoria Short said: “I believe that as long as schools prepare contingency plans and plan ahead for various scenarios whilst utilising the experience gained from remote teaching, teaching can continue to a good standard.

“My advice would be to work collectively within your school, with other schools and with your recruitment agency if you use one to ensure that you have got plans in place to minimise disruption to learning. Communication is a two way street so do ensure that you not only communicate your plans to all relevant parties but also take feedback on what else to consider.

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | www.educationbusinessuk.net

Victoria Short Using supply teachers may have been a concern due to the risk of transmission, however as long as you take the relevant precautions and ensure any new member of staff coming into your school is aware of your safety protocols, supply teachers can play a key role within your school team amongst permanent staff.

Within my own team of recruiters, we have ensured all our tutors, teachers and support staff have completed mandatory Covid awareness training in line with government guidelines.

Furthermore, we can also let our schools know exactly where anyone coming to work in their school has been in the previous two weeks, supporting the school bubbles.

Expert Panel: Pandemic Recovery

Final thoughts

Brian Warren An extremely effective technique of disinfecting and applying a chemical to a surface is using electrostatic sprayers, of which Nviro were among the first to deploy in the UK. The sprayer can achieve total coverage of a room using a 3D ‘wrapping’ effect which bonds disinfectant particles to infected surfaces, stopping pathogen mobility and reducing the transmission of disease. This technique enables classrooms to be disinfected in under 15 minutes and mitigates the possibility of human error in wiping down surfaces. As labour is the most expensive part of a cleaning service, electrostatic spraying can reduce the cost of a hygiene solution for schools.

“Also, be prepared for another working from home scenario; ensure that your staff have what they require to do their job effectively from home. Talk with them and advise them. Preparation boosts confidence and minimises disruption. In any case, it will be important to keep your staff informed and motivated, be it physically or remotely.”

Brian Warren from Nviro said: “Keeping children in education is a priority and with additional measures in place, such as managing personal hygiene, sanitising personal workspace, additional cleaning and testing surfaces for safety levels, schools could still offer a safe place of learning for children.

“In the event of educational facilities closing or reducing capacity, cleaning providers should work in partnership with schools to maintain safe environments. We know the importance of keeping students safe in school and recommend maintaining a minimum standard of cleaning, such as wiping down surfaces and touchpoints. This means that once the lockdown eases, education can resume as soon as possible. A decontamination clean of all floors and surfaces is also essential in the event of a suspected case or if a student is self-isolating, and throughout this time it’s crucial that schools and educational settings work closely with their cleaning providers and communicate any changes. Schools must feel assured that their provider will maintain a safe, clean, and hygienic environment.”

Andrew Cameron believes that we are now better equipped to deal with lockdowns. He said: “Local lockdowns are already happening, and people are much more geared-up to act quickly and appropriately to see the mini-lockdowns through successfully. Young people are much more clued-up on the importance of good hygiene, and what they see happening in schools in terms of reminders, facilities and consistent messaging should help them to remain hygienic and safe as they continue to work from home.”

Commenting on the innovation seen from activity providers during lockdown, Chris Smith says: “Throughout the initial lockdown, we heard from many enterprising hirers who were looking at new, innovative ways to deliver sessions to their users.

Instead of physical classes, many hirers moved to hosting sessions online.

“From fitness sessions to children’s dance, Pilates and language classes, we’ve seen a real influx in online activity that has in some cases benefitted a whole new audience, as people from outside of the local area have been able to access sessions they would not normally have been able to. This online presence has not only resulted in people continuing to be active but undoubtedly contributed to their mental well-being. Schools can prepare to re-activate physical, onsite lettings by planning a phased re-opening of firstly, outdoor facilities and those indoor facilities where additional space can be offered to accommodate social distancing.” L

Chris Smith At present, we are following, and advising our partner schools to follow, the latest government advice around group sizes for activities.

Schools under our BookingsGuru service can be confident that we are liaising regularly with activity providers, on their behalf, to ensure that guidelines are being adhered to. In addition we’re asking all hirers returning to our schools to carry out additional risk assessments and we’ve amended our codes of conduct and terms of hire to ensure robust procedures are in place to manage the safe return of activities. Class times will also be staggered to allow safe access and egress from venues.

Andrew Cameron There are many ways school leaders can effectively and economically factor increased hygiene facilities and supplies into their budgets such as To The Pump’s hand sanitiser and refill package, which includes a free, high-quality, hand sanitiser gel dispenser, worth £17.95, with every 5 litre gel pack, along with replacement units should the dispensers ever experience in damage in situ. Schools can also swap expensive and messy paper towels, that often create cross contamination points when reaching in to extract blocked paper dispensers, for touch free, low cost, HEPA filtered air hand dryers, the savings from which may well cover the cost of hand sanitiser for the year.

Issue 25.5 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

39

DRONES

Quayle Industries Ltd: For all your drone requirements

Quayle Industries Ltd provides drone services to many different sectors throughout the UK, and is fully approved by the Civilian Aviation Authority and insured to operate wherever needed.

The company specialises in the more complex locations, such as city centres, as its unique permission allows it to carry out flights in areas that standard drone pilots cannot.

Using drones to carry out inspections at height is a more cost effective way to complete roof surveys and other infrastructure inspection, and is

much safer as no one leaves the ground. Compared to using the traditional methods of access, such as scaffolding or cherry pickers, drone technology offers a more dynamic platform to capture the information at a higher level of detail and quality.

Quayle Industries Ltd also uses the more accurate real-time kinematic (RTK) technology, which means it can produce site plans that are precise to sub centimetre levels, giving you a 2D or 3D plan that can be used within design programs, for measurements in the office or on-site and for calculating volumes of material piles.

For all your drone requirements speak to the best, get in touch with Quayle Industries Ltd.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0333 2104420 info@quayleindustries.co.uk www.quayleindustries.co.uk

FIRE SAFETY

Aico – The market leader in fire and carbon monoxide protection

From its incorporation in 1990, Aico has rapidly grown to become the recognised market leader in Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) protection that it is today. Education, Quality, Service, and Innovation are at the core of everything that we do. With life safety products, quality is paramount.

All of Aico’s products are manufactured within the Ei group at the organisations world class manufacturing facility in Ireland, where Aico have been developing and manufacturing alarms for over 50 years. As part of this process, every single alarm produced is rigorously tested multiple times, ensuring that the company maintains unrivalled levels of quality and reliability. All Aico alarms meet UK standards, with a wide range of sensor types to guarantee every home is protected.

Throughout our 30 years we have

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led the way in providing innovative solutions and achieved numerous industry firsts, in the field of Fire and CO home life safety products.

But it is not just about alarms, Aico understand the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and supporting the community. The Aico in the Community initiative was developed to help schools, colleges, universities, charities and community organisations to achieve their goals and to help build a sustainable environment now and in the future.

Looking towards the future, Aico will continue to pioneer in the latest technological advancements in sensor technology and advance the connected home, maintaining its position as the leader in home life safety, promoting best practice and engaging with its communities to deliver safer homes.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.aico.co.uk enquiries@aico.co.uk

ADVERTISERS INDEX The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service AEC People

22,23

Aico

90

Airlabs

64

Alexatech

89

Argus Fire & Safety

35

Avire Trading

28

Big Dug

37

City Imperative

74

Colas

86

Content Guru

82

CRJ Services

24

Daikin Applied (UK)

12

Dragonfly

46

Epson UK

68

Eucalyptus Renewables

24

F.G Marshall

6

Glasdon

IBC

Iprosurv

48

ISS

58

Janrae Management Services

50

M3 Global Technologies

55

MHR

4,14

Millieu Landscape Design

31

NB Data

88

Novellini UK

78

Office Depot

16

Ogel IT

IFC,80

Opex Business Machines

44,45

Pump Start

26

Quayle Industries

90

Schaefer Technic

40

Space-Pod

72,73

Sparka UK

70

Sunbelt Rentals

66

T-Impact

56,57

T & K Euro

18

Tenbroeke

76

TG Escapes

32

The Future Fox

84

Thermal Road Repairs

42

UAV Innovations Group

51

Woodscape

30

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk