#TransportMonth: Free screenings to all truck drivers
As part of Engen’s Driver Wellness Initiative, all truck drivers are invited to receive voluntary health screenings in Gauteng.
October is Transport Month, so, in celebration, Engen Petroleum is taking its sixth annual Driver Wellness programme to Gauteng, offering free health screenings at Engen Truck Stops, and bringing health to the front seat for truck drivers.
All truck drivers are thus invited to udergo voluntary health screenings at:
• Engen Market Gateway, Majorie Street, City Deep on 17 October, from 9am till 3pm
• Engen Highveld 1 Stop North and South Bound, along the R21 Highway on 18 October, from 7am till 3pm
Engen Driver Wellness is a mobile health awareness initiative run by Thubelihle Occupational Health and Wellness.
The initiative, which has had a positive impact on the country’s bulk truck driver operators, has continued increasing driver participation in voluntary screenings and has improved health scores over the years. During a seven-month period (from April to the end of October), the programme will reach 21 sites in five provinces.
Operated nationwide at Engen Truck Stops and retail service stations, drivers are offered free voluntary screenings in mobile clinics. These are conducted by qualified nurses and counsellors who administer blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, tuberculosis, BMI (Body Mass Index) and HIV/ AIDS tests.
Engen’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Mntu Nduvane, said the main aim of this initiative is to improve health through awareness. “Education helps to remind drivers and our employees why their health is important and how life choices impact on their well-being. Ultimately, this improves their health, safety and productivity.”
“There has been a marked increase in the number of individuals using the services we provide, which is a clear indication that this intervention is making a difference to the well-being of drivers and will ultimately lead to a healthier industry,” added Nduvane.
As testing is voluntary, the incremental acceptance of health management as a path to longevity and well-being are important indicators that health empowerment is gaining traction. Given the long, 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 per cent from 2014 to 2015. Glucose testing went up by 18,5 per cent and 16 per cent more drivers tested their Body Mass Index (BMI), while blood pressure screening also realised an increase of 16 per cent for 2015. HIV and STI testing rose by 16 per cent between 2014 and 2015 and TB Screening saw a 15 per cent upsurge,” added Nduvane.
Engen’s focus on Health and Safety is aligned to its business and entrenched in every aspect of the company’s operations. World-class standards and guidelines govern all of Engen’s practices in this regard and are applied vigorously to ensure operational excellence and best practice.
“Engen’s Driver Wellness campaign continues to have a massive all-round impact. This includes both 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,” said Nduvane.
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