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management & education news

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES LEAD ONE IN FOUR ETHNIC

THE WAY FOR HYDROGEN MINORITY WORKERS

REPORT BULLYING
AND HARASSMENT
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY WILL RESEARCH Hydrogen storage also offers the
HYDROGEN STORAGE OPTIONS
potential to balance the inter-seasonal
mismatch between energy demand and
supply – providing a means of energy
storage – and is likely to play a substantial
role in the UK’s energy transition.
The research team is led by Stuart
Haszeldine, Professor of Carbon Capture
and Storage at Edinburgh University.
A QUARTER OF MINORITY EMPLOYEES
SCIENTISTS FROM Edinburgh Over the next three years, the team will REPORT EXPERIENCING RACIAL BULLYING
University have received funding investigate how hydrogen reacts and
for a £1.4 million research project to moves in the subsurface, apply digital DESPITE MOST UK employers having
investigate the storage of hydrogen in software to establish how to efficiently zero-tolerance policies on racial
the subsurface. inject and subsequently recover harassment and bullying, a new
The project, Hydrogen Storage in hydrogen, and engage with the wider report has found that these problems
Porous Media (HyStorPor), is designed public to ensure that hydrogen storage are still affecting many workers.
to increase understanding of the develops in a way that is both technically According to the 2019 Race at
whole hydrogen storage system, from feasible and socially acceptable. Work survey, published by the
fundamental physical and chemical The project is supported by an organisation Business in the
processes to social acceptability. international advisory board, chaired Community, one in four black, Asian,
Funds have been stumped up by by Dr Nigel Holmes of the Scottish minority ethnic (BAME) employees
the Engineering and Physical Science Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, with in the UK report experiencing
Research Council, reports Energy Voice. representatives from SGN, Equinor, the bullying and harassment.
The large-scale generation and Environment Agency, Pale Blue Dot, The Independent reports that
storage of hydrogen, generated from Quintessa, Hydrenor, the European the survey also looked into what
excess renewable energy or steam Marine Energy Centre and CGG. employers are doing to combat the
reformation of methane with carbon Meanwhile, North East Times Magazine issue and found that less than half
capture and storage (CCS), could replace reports that Durham University will (45 per cent) of businesses have
methane for domestic heating, thereby head up another EPSRC-funded research carried out reviews into bullying or
reducing carbon emissions from one of project into the advancement of harassment in their workplace.
the UK’s largest sources. hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.

UK FALLS BEHIND G7 RIVALS ON WORK AUTOMATION PLANNING

THE UK IS FALLING behind its G7 that employees are sabotaging robots
rivals when it comes to preparing for in their workplaces because of fears
mass automation of the workplace they will replace their jobs, according
and the so-called Fourth Industrial to Personnel Today.
Revolution, MPs have warned. According to a study of the use of
The parliamentary Business, robotics in the healthcare sector, UK
Energy and Industrial Strategy workers are particularly opposed to
(BEIS) committee also said entire WORKERS FEEL THREATENED BY THE the growing number of robots in their
MACHINES DESIGNED TO HELP THEM
regions of the UK face being left workplaces with many deliberately
behind and British businesses could robot and AI strategy by the end of preventing them from carrying out
find themselves unable to compete next year, to improve adoption rates of their tasks.
effectively, unless the government automation within British industry. Jonathan Payne, professor of work,
steps up efforts to manage the UK’s The report said: “The UK’s problem is employment and skills at De Montfort
transition to automation. too few, not too many, robots. University in Leicester, which carried
The report bears out research by “The potential for an increase out the research, said: “We heard
Sky News in April which showed that in automation to help tackle the stories of workers standing in the way
Corby is the town most threatened by ‘productivity puzzle’ and improve living of robots, and minor acts of sabotage –
automation in the UK. standards has not yet been effectively and not playing along with them.
The MPs’ report has recommended addressed by the government.” “The UK seems to have a problem with
that the government develops a UK Meanwhile, researchers have found diffusion and take-up of technology.”

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News.indd 5 17/10/2019 13:45