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| Above: Ford Health Group's Andrew Marriott with Penny Behan from Public Works. |
Allan Lally, the Manager of Strategic Workplace Health and Safety with the Department of Public Works, said Pathways was a voluntary program aimed at improving the work-life balance for staff.
"Pathways offers free confidential health assessments, flu vaccinations, discounted private health insurance, and discounts to selected health and fitness centres.
"The program empowers individuals to take responsibility for their own health pathways.
"The Department acknowledges that healthy staff are our greatest asset," said Allan.
One 53-year-old Public Works employee, who asked not to be named, said he owed his life to the Pathways program.
"In the early phase of the department's employee health program, I was offered a health assessment," he said.
"As part of the health assessment, I was advised for my age to have a prostate screening through my own doctor
"But, being one of those 'tough' males, I decided not to have it done," he said.
"The next time I went for a health check through the department, I had a more comprehensive assessment at the Ford Health Clinic and I had my prostate checked.
"It turned out I had prostate cancer. At 53, I was faced with having a radical operation.
"I was very lucky. The cancer was contained within the prostate. It hadn't spread.
"But I did really regret not being screened when I was first told to go to my GP.
"Without that follow-up on the workplace health program, I'd be dead," he said.
The Pathways to Better Health program was launched at the Department of Public Works in 2002. So far more than 2500 staff have been assessed.
This means about 65 per cent of employees have been assessed, well above the industry average.
QFleet Project Manager Rob Wilson said he was pleased the Pathways to Better Health and Safety program existed.
"Being a relatively new staff member, I am especially grateful for the opportunity to take up Pathways. Only one of my previous employers offered anything like it," Rob said.
Ford Health, which conducts the assessments, has noted employees improving in a number of health risk areas such as blood pressure, mental health disorders and diabetes control.
Improvements have also been noted in the areas of cholesterol level reduction, improved exercise and diets, weight loss, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption.
The Pathways to Better Health program is holistic, extending to 'financial health' advice from QSuper and rigorous adherence to occupational health and safety regulations in the workplace.
"By the nature of our involvement with the building industry and an ageing staff demographic, the need for a comprehensive employee health and safety program is greater than ever," Allan said.
The Pathways to Better Health program won the 'Valuing our People' category in the 2006 Department of Public Works Staff Excellence Awards.
allan.lally@publicworks.qld.gov.au
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Highway to Health
Nina Cleary, Human Resources Officer with the Department of Transport, said that there had been an overwhelming response to the Highway to Health diary with positive feedback received from staff, and attention from other Queensland Government departments interested in doing something similar.
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