Toll Today March 2011 - TOLL Group

WorkHealth Checks are the Catalyst for
Positive Health Changes at Toll NQX
Toll NQX is on a mission to support the health and
wellbeing of its workforce. With the free WorkHealth
checks being taken up by 95 percent of the team,
planning is now underway for a range of ongoing health
and wellbeing initiatives.
An impressive 104 out of Toll NQX’s 109 staff members at
Altona North signed up for a free WorkHealth check when
the initiative was offered at the worksite. allyson Sullivan,
HSE Coordinator, who organised the WorkHealth checks
for Toll NQX, was a keen supporter of the initiative.
“This is a really important program because workers can
learn about health risks that they might not have known
about before, and receive information on what they can
do to improve their health. We really wanted to give as
many of our staff as possible the chance to have a
WorkHealth check,” said Allyson.
“Our workforce is made up of lots of young guys, who may
not have had their cholesterol or blood glucose measured
before, so in particular we saw it as a great opportunity to
help them get these things checked out”.
With Toll NQX’s workforce comprising a range of job roles,
from drivers always out on the road to depot staff on the
floor, Health professionals started work at 5am to ensure
all could benefit from the health checks, regardless of their
shift pattern.
Allyson appointed two champions in the team, who helped
promote the initiative and encourage staff to put their names
down. The benefits of the WorkHealth checks were discussed
at toolbox and OH&S meetings, as well as updates in the
internal newsletter and messages on payslips to remind staff.
As part of the Christmas celebrations all staff within
the Toll building located at Kerry Road, Archerfield
were invited to participate in the Toll NQX HR
department’s ‘Christmas Decorations’ competition.
Staff worked in teams to decorate their work areas, and
needed to name their display. Prizes were awarded for first,
second and third place, as well as a prize for the most
creatively decorated work area. This was judged by ballot
making it the ‘People’s Choice Award’.
Over a three week period, the enthusiasm and
competitiveness shown by everyone was overwhelming
with some wonderful displays and themes emerging.
WorkHealth checks are free, 15 minute, confidential health
risk assessments delivered in the convenience of the
workplace. The initiative is run by WorkSafe Victoria, and
aims to help every Victorian worker learn about their risk
factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, two
increasingly common yet preventable chronic diseases.
WorkHealth also provides tools and resources to businesses
to assist with their health and wellbeing programs. Allyson
was among the first people to order the kit in Victoria, and
has gone on to use some of the tools available in the kit to
plan health and wellbeing initiatives for Toll NQX staff to get
involved with.
“In particular the survey template helped us gain feedback
from staff about what sorts of activities they feel they would
benefit from. One thing that came back is that our workers
would love to have health checks done again down the
track, to see how much they have improved,” said Allyson.
Since the WorkHealth checks took place, some promising
changes have been happening around the organisation.
Several workers have committed themselves to quitting
smoking, and many people are now eating more fruit,
helped by a weekly fruit box introduced by Toll NQX.
“We would recommend this initiative to other business units
at Toll. Apart from staff time involved in coordinating and
making the most of the opportunity, it didn’t cost us anything,
and it’s a great way to show you care about your teams,”
said Allyson.
This program is only currently available to businesses in
Victoria. Please contact your OH&S Manager to find out
if similar initiatives are available where you work, visit
workhealth.vic.gov.au or contact andrena Matthews:
andrena_matthews@worksafe.vic.gov.au n
Kerry road gets Creative at Christmas
These included:
n Winter wonderland
n Santa’s den
n Santa’s shack
n Cup cakes
n White Christmas
n 32 Christmas Drive.
Due to the overwhelming response, the judges also
decided to award an encouragement prize, to congratulate
those who had made an effort and got involved in the
Christmas spirit.
The winners, 32 Christmas Drive (pictured), were announced
at the Christmas lunch, where the judges thanked all for
taking part. The competition added to the wonderful Christmas
cheer around the building. n
Specialised and Domestic Freight
10
10 1st prize
– 32 Christmas Drive.
Toll Today March – May 2011
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