< PreviousWritten by Pauline Muller As the COVID-19 pandemic has made personal protective equipment something everyone has had to think about, designers of such gear are stepping up to the challenge of creating more comfortable, more effective equipment and workwear for those who need it most. The result is that a robust research and development drive is on to protect employees from physical harm in increasingly modern ways. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) reported on March 1 this year that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is looking to create “centers of excellence to provide improved research and development around personal protective equipment and technology (PPE and PPT).” PPT incorporates clothing with technology to achieve hybrid pro- tective wear often capable of responding to body tem- peratures. Such ‘smart’ clothing and gear can be designed to alert the wearer of dangers such as extreme heat, toxic gases, or dangerous materials like some metals. 11 BUSINESS IN FOCUS The ISEA media release stated that “ISEA applauded the effort to encourage innovative thinking,” which would improve occupational health and safety. It also said that “In a letter to the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), ISEA has outlined the needs for PPE and PPT research and provided an overview of potential projects and issues in multiple areas of safety.” As part of these efforts, the association further reported that it is looking toward including a couple of PPE fabricators as part of its board of advisors. The ISEA has spotlighted several areas of future study for the NPPTL, including climate change and its impact on PPE, "public-private partnerships to share advanced machinery and technology,” and much more. In an article featured last year by management consult- ing firm McKinsey & Company, the PPE market has increased “from $13.5 billion in 2019 to an estimated $24.3 billion in 2024,” with protective clothing expected to occupy around $5.4 billion of that space within two years. This while market studies company Fortune Business Insights predicts the global PPE market growth to hit $92.86 billion around 2027. The McKinsey report counsels that, to position themselves optimally, PPE fabricators would do well to study the trajectories of the fastest growing players in the markets most in need of their products, in addition to optimizing efficiency and capabilities. As a result, the competition is growing as North American com- panies continue to contribute to the field of making the world of work a safer place by protecting workers’ respiratory tracts, eyes, skin, hands, heads, ears, feet, and lives especially when working at extreme temperatures, heights, speeds, or depths. With environmental temperatures rising, heat stress risk is one of the main considerations when designing personal protec- tive gear these days. Considering that there were nearly forty heat-related deaths per year and well over 2,500 annual, dan- gerous, heat-related illnesses needing time off as reported to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from 2011 to 2019, the time is ripe for improved measures. One brand making headway in the PPE market since 1983 is Ergodyne. Headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this company prides itself on creating ‘tenacious work gear’ that includes some of the most effective cooling gear available in the mainstream US market today. Turning to advanced fabric varieties and other smart design elements, its range includes everything from hard hat cooling gear to cooling vests. Its Chill-Its range of terry cloth hat liners, shade rims, and sweatbands are designed to give the wearer a comfort level that is significantly higher than that of a traditional hard hat, while its Chill-Its high visibility safety cooling vests employ ‘polymer-embedded cooling technol- ogy,’ offering around half a work day’s lightweight heat protection to outdoor workers. In addition, its innovative, knitted material arm sleeves have properties such as an ultra- violet protection factor of up to 50+ and a rapid cooling “Hearing protection has been around for quite some time but is also seeing technological additions.” JUNE 2022 12feature activated by moisture. The design diverts the wearer's per- spiration from the skin when the product is not wet, ensuring all-day comfort. Hearing protection has been around for quite some time but is also seeing technological addi- tions. Honeywell, one of the world’s largest PPE manu- facturers in 2021, offers in-ear hearing protection headphones complete with Bluetooth connectivity or digital AM/FM radio among its selection. But it is not only protective clothing that is currently in the spotlight. Office designers are also continuously improv- ing comfort levels with controlled ambient temperatures and ergonomic furniture. Just as with clothing, this sector is also introducing modern fabrics and materials to improve employee comfort as much as possible. Anti-fatigue mats are just one example of this. Smart Step’s premium performance mats are proudly and entirely manufac- tured in the United States from locally-sourced, appropriate, and safe materials. These mats promise to "help protect employees from serious health risks associated with static postures and reduce injuries, sick days, and worker’s compensation claims." Its quality assurance boasts a ten-year warranty and comes complete with such safety characteristics as a secure grip- to-surface feature, bright highlights for easy identification, as well as an engineered top surface that allows for a stable foot grip to prevent slipping. These mats are already a favourite in the hospitality industry, the salon and fitness market, and industrial, medical, and other fields. Chairs, of course, also remain fundamental to worker safety and comfort even in home offices. Chiropractor Dr. Randi Jaffe recently advised readers of The Strategist to invest in adjustable chairs that allow for “90- degree angles at the waist and knees.” Her favourite is reported to be the Herman Miller Aeron Chair, singled out over nearly two decades for its superb back technolo- gy that adjusts as the user moves, offering continued support throughout, whether the user is tilting the chair at an angle or not. Being short, I am forever grateful for chairs that allow my feet to touch the floor and am particularly impressed with the small, medium, and large sizes in which the chair is fabricated, making it an option for a wide range of body types. While there are many concerning issues happening in the world right now, it comes as a great comfort to know that there are qualified teams of people out there taking care of the small details that make everyday life safer and more com- fortable, especially at work. Designed by Ashley DowlingJUNE 2022 14Written by Margaret Patricia Eaton profound, were incremental, often only fully recog- nized in hindsight. Nothing in recorded history compares with the speed of social change brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, something you could not fail to notice. In the ‘before times’, people enjoyed visits with family, socialized with friends, travelled, attended classes, volunteered. They went to the theatre, the gym, sporting events, places of worship, restaurants. Every generation has a turning point – a historical marker people reference when comparing what life was like before and after. Whether the event was cataclysmic, such as a World War, or overarching, such as the 60s ushering in decades of social change or the beginning of the Information Age in the late 80s, the lifestyle changes that resulted, while 15 BUSINESS IN FOCUS But mostly? They went to work. Five days a week. Depending on the nature of their work, they met the public, met each other, worked in teams, had chats and coffee, and meetings and coffee. But all that ended abruptly in March of 2020, with global lock- downs, travel restrictions, and an overnight transition to a new work model – remote work. Two years later, even though restrictions are lifting and businesses opening, not all are returning to on-site work. It appears that both employers and employees see benefits in remote work. Employers believe employees are more produc- tive without the distractions of an office setting, and moreover, management can reduce expenses by running a smaller facility. Employees appreci- ate not having to commute, working in a relaxed setting, and being able to respond to a child-care emergency. Both agree, however, that collegiality, a key ingredient of workplace satisfaction, is missing, and that the loss can lead to poorer performance for businesses in the long term, when team spirit, the relationships that enhance people’s ability to work together, is lost. Business in Focus spoke with representatives of two Canadian- based companies, both of which had been offering in-person team-building events and business communications work- shops before the pandemic. Not missing a beat, they tweaked their programs to accommodate online delivery platforms, and in the process, extended their reach globally. Brad Whitehorn is the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Career Life Skills Resources Inc. (CLSR), a company based in Aurora, ON which for over 40 years has provided assessments and resources in the fields of career development, self-under- standing, and personal growth. On its list of satisfied clients are businesses and organizations of all sizes; federal and provincial governments; school boards, colleges, and universities: work- places where the materials are used by psychologists, career and employment specialists, human resource consultants, and organizational consultants. Among CLSR’s broad range of product offerings, is the Personality Dimensions™ (PD) program, which creates a frame- work for understanding temperament patterns by putting complex personality theory into everyday language. “Being taken out of the office you’re accustomed to and thrown suddenly into working at home with no support from colleagues is traumatic.”“The crux of it is communication and the ability to under- stand yourself and others better,” Whitehorn explains. “In the context of human resources in the corporate world it is about understanding your motivation, talents, and preferred way of doing things; understanding how people are different, and then making that connection of what you can do, and what others can do, to improve processes.” It’s been a successful program since 2003, he says, with qualified professionals from HR departments or counselling offices receiving intensive in-person training, over three days, to become certified PD facilitators and trainers. They could then return to their workplaces and deliver the three-hour program in-person to small groups. But in March 2020, in- person training stopped. “The idea of creating an online program had been there for some time and some facilitators were experimenting with it off and on, over the years, but it wasn’t until the pandemic came that we started thinking seriously about how we could put everything online as a way to support employees working remotely,” says Whitehorn. “We wanted to maintain the interaction that made learning enjoyable and use the same activities and workshop ideas. We looked at what transfers easily into a Zoom-type setting, what needs modification, and what doesn’t work. “What we found was that most of it worked as it was, and just needed tweaks to work with the technology. Breakout rooms are one of the great features created for Zoom platforms, so that means people can continue to meet and work in small groups. In the end, we’re finding that the online workshops are pretty much the same as the ones we were doing in person.” Whitehorn says that CLSR has received positive feedback from both employers and employees who have been working remotely. “Being taken out of the office you’re accustomed to and thrown suddenly into working at home with no support from colleagues is traumatic. “We didn’t know how long we would be doing this, and we still don’t know, but an important element of Personality Development ™ is about empowering people and improving their lives, which can extend to personal and family relation- ships as well, which impacts their work.” Going online has helped CLSR expand programs, including Personality Dimensions™ globally. In Canada, it is available in both English and French, and now has representation in other countries, including the U.S., Australia, Macau, and Hong Kong (in both English and Chinese), and in Spanish in Mexico. Chris Hill is the founder and director of Fun at Slixer, a company based in Vancouver, BC, with franchises in major centres across 17 BUSINESS IN FOCUS Canada and the U.S., including Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. And since the pandemic began, virtually everywhere. Armed with a theatre arts degree from Mount Royal University in Calgary, combined with entrepreneurial skills honed while presenting murder mystery theatre weekends aboard the Rocky Mountain Express, running between Calgary and Lake Louise, Hill founded Slixer in 2000 as a corporate team-build- ing events company. Among the events were murder mysteries with professional actors, and other events such as escape rooms and treasure hunts, all of which were designed to build teamwork, trust, communication, and collaboration. For the first 20 years, all events were offered in-person, but just as in-person work everywhere ground to a halt, so did Slixer’s. “We all suffered the same thing in March,” Hill recalls. “All of our events were cancelled and inquiries about future ones stopped coming in. We said, we have to pivot.” Previously, Slixer had been using software developed by Wildgoose UK, an award-winning team-activity company, for those in-person events that required corporate employ- ees to solve puzzles or follow scavenger hunt clues on smartphones, but the lock-down hastened the introduction of completely virtual programming. “We had a lot of virtual meetings – every day, in fact – dis- cussing how we could present our programs virtually. The timing was quite fortunate because it was at the same time that Zoom was making inroads and developing break-out rooms. We immediately saw the advantages of matching our technology with it and bringing in our live actors to interact with the participants.” “When people are working remotely, they feel they have been left out of the corporate culture, but when employers provide this program, workers feel valued and appreciated.” JUNE 2022 18In less than three months, Slixer events were up and running, not only in North America but around the world, first with virtual quizzes and scavenger hunts in April and May and then on July 1 with Manor House Murder, the first in a series of murder myster- ies that includes Murder on the Train and Murder on the Slopes. “Employers see value,” says Hill. “The 90-minute programs get everyone together. Businesses had all started doing Zoom meetings, but what we do is add fun. We are gamifying it and bringing together people who otherwise might not team up. For example, a company can choose to break up the HR department, and the accounting department and mix them up and it brings a level of camaraderie you wouldn’t get otherwise,” he says. “When people are working remotely, they feel they have been left out of the corporate culture, but when employers provide this program, workers feel valued and appreciated, so it’s a real benefit.” Many of Slixer’s clients are large multinationals, including Perkins Coie, an international law firm headquartered in Seattle, with offices across the U.S., China, and Taiwan; and other household names such as Spotify, Microsoft, Telus, Morgan Stanley, and Etsy. March 13, 2020, the day Ontario went into lockdown, was an especially discouraging day for performers who are part of the gig economy, says Tara Baxendale, an actor and singer who lives in Toronto. “For the six of us involved in the first online performance [of Manor House Murder] on July 1, 2020, it was the first time we had been able to perform with others in three and a half months. It was the first light at the end of the tunnel after we’d been locked down in our homes. We are all incredibly grateful to Chris because it meant we had an opportunity to perform when almost no one else in North America was getting to perform at all,” she says. Previously, when on stage, she had worked mainly with other Toronto actors, she says, “but now I regularly work with improv actors who I have never met in person from across Canada; from Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal, and begun work at 6 a.m. because of the time zone in Sweden where Spotify keeps offices, for example. So, despite the pandemic dividing everyone, it has brought people together, and even transported us around the world.” Designed by Ashley DowlingNext >