Apr 23, 2017 Engen, Trucking, DriverWellness, Heavy Duty, TruckDriver
Engen has kicked off its Engen Driver Wellness - a mobile health awareness initiative run by Thubelihle Occupational Health & Wellness for the year at Cape Road Convenience Centre in Port Elizabeth.
The initiative is aimed at positively impacting bulk truck driver operators and continues to increase driver participation in free voluntary health screenings and improved health scores. From April to October, the programme will cover 21 sites in five provinces.
Engen Driver Wellness celebrates its 6th year in 2017 and is operated nationwide at Engen Truck Stops and retail service stations, where drivers are offered free voluntary screenings in mobile clinics. These are conducted by qualified nurses and councillors and includes testing for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, tuberculosis, BMI (Body Mass Index) and HIV/AIDS.
The company's Corporate Social Investment Manager, Mntu Nduvane commented: “Education helps to remind drivers and our employees why their health is important and how life choices impact on their well-being. Ultimately this increases their health, safety and productivity.”
“There has been a marked increase in the amount of individuals using the services we provide which is a clear indication that this intervention is making a difference to the wellbeing of drivers and will ultimately lead to a healthier industry.”
The programme organisers believe that as testing is voluntary, the incremental acceptance of health management as a path to longevity and wellbeing are important indicators that health empowerment is gaining traction. Given the long and lonely hours long haul drivers spend on the road and the stresses associated with the job, these interventions form a critical pillar of support.
“Our most recent statistics show how cholesterol screening jumped by 63% from 2014 to 2015. Glucose testing went up by 18.5% and 16% more drivers tested their Body Mass Index (BMI), while blood pressure screening also realised an increase of 16% for 2015. HIV and STI testing rose by 16% between 2014 and 2015 and TB Screening saw a 15% upsurge, “ added Nduvane.
“Engen’s Driver Wellness campaign continues to have a massive all-round impact. This includes both on the drivers and their families, who benefit from reduced exposure to diseases and greater longevity of a breadwinner, and of course on the company itself, in terms of improved worker productivity, skills retention and disease management.”
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