The UK's leading health and safety expert Arco has officially opened a new Safety Centre in Trafford Park, Manchester. Created to provide both safety training and essential kit in one facility, the new Safety Centre will be home to state-of-the-art training facilities for working at height, confined space, respiratory protection, face fit testing and health & safety management as well as a new store offering over 2,000 products to choose from.

To ensure that those working in situations with potential 'mortal risk' are equipped with the necessary training and practical experience Trafford Park Safety Centre is home to purpose-built specialist training facilities. The centre contains a confined space training labyrinth including more than 30 metres of tunnels and chambers and a variety of entry points. It also offers apparatus that simulate different working at height situations, including an external rooftop training facility with additional internal rooftop systems, a working at height gantry and a pitched roof (available soon). Trafford Park Safety Centre also houses training rooms that can accommodate both large and small groups for training and meetings.

The new store, stocks a range of personal protective equipment, workwear and workplace safety equipment from all the biggest and trusted brands like TROJAN, Snickers, Regatta, Puma, DeWALT, MASCOT, CAT and lots more. To commemorate the official opening, Arco is offering 50% off* everything in-store on the 24th January and 30% off* everything for rest of the week. The Arco Clothing Centre will be on-site offering small quantity embroidery requests and as part of the MSA Recycle Helmet scheme, Arco is offering a free MSA V-Gard 520 Unvented Reduced-Peak Safety Helmet worth £12.27 for the first 50 customers who bring their old helmets into the store to recycle through MSA, in partnership with YES recycling.

Paul Frewin, Divisional Director of Regions & Retail, said:

"The opening of our new Trafford Park Safety Centre is an important milestone for Arco as it will provide our customers with a one-stop-shop for all of their safety needs. As experts in safety, we understand that each business faces its own unique and complex challenges and that, in order to manage workplace health and safety, we need to provide joined-up safety solutions to help our customers.

"The new Trafford Park Safety Centre will offer customers the best possible selection of products and services with our own in-store experts available to offer advice and training, ensuring an effortless customer experience. In addition to providing both products and services in one place, we are confident that local tradesmen will enjoy the new location within the busy industrial estate."

As industry experts, Arco's training team not only train professionals to carry out their job safely, but they also utilise these skills in the real world, supporting NHS Trusts with PPE Face-Fit Testing to protect staff throughout the pandemic, assisting in the Thailand and South Wales Cave Rescues, carrying out deep cleaning of the imperial war museum exhibits, and supporting the London Eye with a James Bond stunt ahead of the No Time to Die premier to name a few.

For more information about the new safety centre located off the A5081, Wharfside Way, visit Arco Professional Safety Services.

*In store only. Excludes training courses.

Arco, the UK's leading safety products and services company, has been awarded the prestigious Investor in Sales Award from the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP), recognising the commitment the company has made to ensuring its sales staff provide a professional and ethical service to its customers.

With a deep commitment to keeping people safe at work and as the first company in its sector to achieve this award, Arco continues to lead the way in ensuring that everyone goes home safely at the end of the working day.

The award and Arco's investment in training and development of its sales colleagues, ensures that the business trades ethically in what and how it sells its products and services. Arco sales teams also gain safety credentials through the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, meaning they can support customers with expert knowledge and advice, making Arco the responsible choice of safety partner.

To achieve the team award, individual salespeople were required to pass a demanding exam in order to be registered on the ISP's professional register. This is not just a 'one off' investment, as those on the register are required to pass a new exam after two years in order to retain their accreditation. Arco has also signed up to become a corporate member of the ISP.

Bryan Lawrie, Commercial Director at Arco, said:

"Receiving this award is a fantastic achievement for Arco and is fitting recognition of the business' efforts in developing a highly skilled sales team that is committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers, lives up to our ethos of being experts in safety and makes us the responsible choice of safety partner."

Patrick Joiner, Managing Director of the Institute of Sales Professionals, said:

"Congratulations to the hardworking and dedicated salespeople at Arco for achieving their first Investor in Sales award. Their commitment to professional development and ethical business behaviour sends a strong message to their customers that they are credible, trustworthy business partners. The Institute of Sales Professionals is delighted to be working with Arco to help them foster talented, dependable salespeople and we wish them every success."

Darren Ford, Head of Organisation Development and Learning and Development at Arco, said:

"As a business, Arco is fully committed to being ethical in what we sell and how we sell. That is why we are proud to be a corporate member of the Institute of Sales Professionals and by ensuring our sales colleagues undertake regular accreditation and learning as part of their continued professional development."

Arco, the UK's leading health and safety company, has announced an exciting partnership with FLX Health, to become the exclusive UK reseller of the FLX app, a targeted physiotherapy app that works to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace and rehabilitate employees more quickly when they arise.

Musculoskeletal Disorders are a Leading Cause of Lost Working Days

MSDs are a leading cause of occupational ill health in Great Britain, accounting for 30% of all work-related ill health cases and 27% of lost working days. Affecting 14.9 million people nationally, MSDs cost the NHS over £5 billion per-year for treatment and support. As a growing issue that exists in many work environments, the FLX app empowers individuals to self-manage low grade pain and injuries through behavioural change and correcting biomechanical function, reducing the need for face-to-face and online physiotherapy appointments. The FLX app will also help employers boost productivity, reduce sick days and keep their workforce healthy, happy and active.

Already Reducing the Cost of Musculoskeletal Disorders

The FLX app works in two ways, accelerating the process of recovery, and preventing injury by detecting and correcting biomechanical issues. For example, during a three-month trial conducted with the South Yorkshire Police Force, MSDs were reduced by 64% and the rate of absenteeism due to MSDs was reduced from 43 to 18 days per month. This trial amongst 237 police workers, resulted in savings of £65,000 a year. When scaled across all staff within the Force, the calculated savings could reach £1.4m a year. In a similar trial with 480 workers at Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, days lost due to low level back pain reduced by 52%.

A New Way to Protect your People

The FLX app is available via subscription on mobile devices. Users can opt to use the Pain Programme to aid existing problems through corrective exercises and self-management advice or the Biomechanics Programme to help prevent future pain and injuries. The app uses clinically proven algorithms developed over 15 years to identify an individual's biomechanical profile through a series of screening tests to suggest a course of personalised physiotherapy exercises. The app learns and adjusts the programme to address users' continuously evolving biomechanical needs.

Click here for more information about the FLX app.

Arco, the UK's leading safety company, is pleased to see that the High Court has ruled that the "VIP fast-track lane" for awarding PPE contracts to those with political connections was unlawful.

Throughout the early stages of the pandemic, there were examples of PPE supply contracts being awarded opaquely to organisations with no history or experience of PPE manufacture and supply, who were ultimately unable to fulfil orders as they had imported inappropriate or non-compliant products, increasing the risk to the public, care home staff and NHS workers.

Arco recognises the fact that, when the pandemic broke out, the Government was dealing with an unprecedented situation and an urgent need to scale up procurement in an extremely fast-moving environment, in which a finite supply of PPE had to be matched with an almost-infinite global demand with millions of lives at stake. In such a situation it was inevitable that mistakes would be made.

We at Arco have always felt that it was important to learn from what went wrong and to take steps to rectify these.

Last year, Arco launched a campaign to raise awareness of these issues and produced a position paper Personal Protective Equipment and the Government's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

This paper shared Arco's experiences and proposed a 10-point set of recommendations to prevent a repeat of the high-profile issues that were seen during the first wave of the crisis and to ensure the country is better protected in any future pandemic.

Arco's Chairman, Thomas Martin, gave evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on Arco's experience at the start of the pandemic and its findings.

Arco acknowledges the positive and constructive way in which the Department for Health and Social Care has engaged with the content of the position paper, and asks Ministers to consider its remaining recommendations, particularly the call for a register of accredited Category II and III suppliers. This will ensure we can all be better prepared for any future emergencies.

With the festive season upon us, it feels like an appropriate time to reflect on what has been another challenging and unpredictable year, both for Arco and our customers.

For many businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to be the most prominent issue to contend with.

As experts in safety, Arco has taken a proactive approach in supporting the country's response to the pandemic - from supplying PPE to frontline workers and critical industries to providing expert advice on the UK's future preparedness for emergencies through the publication of a position paper and by giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee.

Away from Covid-19, several notable milestones have been achieved at Arco over the past 12 months from the opening of our new safety centre in Linlithgow, Scotland, to the completion of our new office and collaborative workspace at Blackfriargate in Hull. We have also launched our new website and e-commerce platform as part of our digital programme.

Arco has also been verified carbon neutral for its direct and indirect emissions from energy use in its UK operations, marking a key moment in our journey and commitment to becoming net zero by 2045.

As a family-business, we have also continued to support communities across the country through sponsorships, grants, charitable donations and colleague engagement as part of our CSR programme.

It seems fitting that on the note of community and charity, I offer you, our customers, my greetings for the season.

From me and all colleagues at Arco, I would like to wish you, your families and friends, a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

David Evison, Managing Director

Colleagues from Arco's Hose Division have created a space for wellbeing and wildlife on an area of disused land next to the family business' National Distribution Centre (NDC) at Priory Park, in Hessle.

Following the demolition of Arco's previous office in Waverley Street, in Hull, as part of the upgrade of the A63, the safety expert's hose division was relocated to a new £2 million purpose-built facility next door to the NDC.

Once there, colleagues soon realised the potential of a plot of unused land nearby and set about creating a garden space over the summer.

The project includes:

• A small woodland walk that has bluebells and snowdrops in the spring
• A beehive with its own colony of honeybees, which were introduced in late summer and are thriving ahead of the winter
• A natural pond that is already attracting a wide range of small animals, including frogs
• Seating areas to relax and watch the local wildlife, creating a stronger bond with nature and enhancing the team's wellbeing

Alex Richards, Head of Hose & Export at Arco, said:

"The garden is a perfect reflection of our team, as we have repurposed old hose fittings into planters and have recycled old wooden pallets into benches.

"It's been an amazing team effort to create, with many colleagues helping in their personal time to develop the area into what has quickly become a great little wildlife haven and a natural space for people to enjoy a moment to relax during a busy day.

"We are so proud of this wonderful and mindful space and are all really looking forward to seeing how it will further develop over time."

As well as the wellbeing benefits the garden brings for colleagues, the project is also good for the environment by bringing a previously unused piece of land into use through the planting of flowers, the creation of habitats for animals and the introduction of bees to increase pollination in the area.

Danny Hobson, Head of Ethics and Sustainability at Arco, said:

"This project has created a beautiful oasis within a busy industrial complex.

"Biodiversity is so important to our world and our hose division has created an environment for wildlife to flourish.

"As a responsible business, Arco is committed to our climate and to making a meaningful difference by continuing to explore and action all the ways we can make a positive impact, from cutting emissions to investing in fleet and waste management and ensuring best practice in circularity through sustainable product development, packaging solutions and product recycling capabilities.

"It also means that Arco fully supports great initiatives like the garden that has been created by our colleagues at our hose division.

"The garden looks fantastic, and I'd like to thank all those who have put the time and effort into re-wilding this area. I know it will be enjoyed by both people and animals for many years to come."

Arco has been crowned Commercial Development of the Year at the prestigious Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2021.

The award, sponsored by Urbana Planning, was presented at a ceremony at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds.

Over the past 18 months, Arco has completed two major developments in Hull. Investing in an extension of its National Distribution Centre and in a new office and collaborative workspace at Blackfriargate.

With longstanding ties to the city since the opening of Arco's first shop in Queen Street in 1893, the family business has relocated back to Hull's Fruit Market area. The new office brings together colleagues from three separate locations to provide a single point of collaboration from where the business can best serve its customers.

Arco's new Blackfriargate home has space for 600 colleagues and is the largest new-build office development for a single user in the Hull area since the late 1960s. Key features include bright open-plan office space with zones for collaborative working, meeting rooms and training suites equipped with state-of-the-art conference technology. The new site is easily accessible on foot from the city centre and via public transport links, with 56 secure cycle spaces.

Arco also recently completed an extension to its National Distribution Centre, known as NDC2. This extension trebled Arco's storage capacity, providing an additional area of 20,500 square metres and an internal clear height of 19 metres. The NDC2 also features one of the flattest warehouse floors in Europe. To support Arco's sustainability vision, it’s lit by natural daylight with daylight harvesting LED lights, activating only when needed.

Arco's NDC2 became operational in February 2020. The increased storage and distribution capacity enabled Arco to respond rapidly to the unprecedented demand for PPE, with the business supporting the NHS, frontline responders and critical industries. The demand for quality-assured and ethically-sourced PPE was so strong that Arco achieved its eight-year NDC2 growth roadmap within five months after launch. Arco’s logistics team became a 24/7 operation distributing 300 pallets and 8,000 parcels across the UK every day.

David Evison, Managing Director at Arco, said:

"Winning the Commercial Development of the Year award is a fantastic achievement for Arco and is fitting recognition for all of those involved in the development of our new collaborative workspace at Blackfriargate and the extension of the National Distribution Centre.

"These investments will futureproof our commitment to customers and will play an important role in the way we support them, both now and in the years to come, as well as enabling us to continue fulfilling our core purpose to keep people safe at work."

The United Nations International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2nd December, serves to remind us of the past and raise awareness of modern forms of slavery. With a core purpose of keeping people safe at work, Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, is committed to making a difference in eradicating modern slavery and has announced its partnership with Bright Future, a charity that supports survivors of this global issue by providing access to employment to give a safer future.

Bright Future was a partnership first created between the Co-Operative Group and City Hearts, a charity that specialises in supporting survivors of modern slavery.

Modern slavery is an international crime, affecting an estimated 40+ million people around the world. It’s a growing issue, affecting men, women and children. As one of the first companies in its sector to join the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), Arco is committed to managing a truly ethical supply chain that is fully compliant with the ETI Base Code. In addition to being members of the ETI, Arco undertakes regular inspections and audits of both its UK operations, to ensure compliance with its Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement, and of its vendors and supply chains around the world.

As a business member of Bright Future, Arco has committed funding to support the ongoing work of Bright Future and provide Bright Future candidates with four-week paid placements, with the opportunity for permanent employment. The placements give candidates the opportunity to experience working at Arco with support by mentors and training.

David Evison, Managing Director at Arco, said:

"Arco is proud to become members of the Bright Future initiative and to provide access to employment for those who have survived modern slavery.

"Arco shares the values of the Co-Operative Group and of City Hearts when it comes to eradicating modern slavery and supporting those who have survived it to live in freedom and dignity and to be supported along the pathway back to paid employment."