Making the case for better working environments. Investment cases often focus on buildings, technology, equipment and cost. But the success of those investments usually depends on something more human: whether people can actually work well in the environment being created. That is where ergonomics and HM Government's Five Case Model fit together. Our cover image shows a vessel planning operator who reported improvements to their musculoskeletal health, after working on a new

A key part of bridging the gap between people, technology and workspace is running a staff ergonomics group. The image above shows HAM involving real people in the design process. At BAPCO 2026 we had the pleasure of meeting many interesting people facing a range of potential ergonomic challenges. One theme that came up repeatedly during conversations: the 'usability gap' between technology solutions and the people expected to use them. Many organisations continue to underest

Figure 1: Ergonomic desk solution for a police control centre. HAM Associates presenting at the British APCO Autumn Event , exploring how using ergonomics can directly link staff health, comfort, performance, and well-being to strategic business investment. John Hargreaves, Senior Ergonomist and Paul Marshall Senior Business Manager presented a brief session based on their recent collaborative work on emergency services projects. The session demonstrated how human factor

Figure 1: UFAD flexibility when setting out reconfigured layout in a control room Thermal comfort can have a significant influence on how people experience their workplace. When conditions are too warm, too cold, draughty or stagnant, the effects can extend beyond simple discomfort — affecting concentration, wellbeing and satisfaction with the working environment. Yet achieving thermal comfort is not simply a matter of setting the thermostat to the ‘right’ temperature. Therma