Healthy Queensland Awards - Jellinbah Resources
December 2009
Ford Health congratulates long standing (10 years) customer 'Jellinbah Resources' for winning the Healthy Workplace awards at the recent Healthy Queensland Awards.
The Queensland Government each year accepts entrants into their Healthy Queensland Awards program which is a search to uncover the healthiest communities in Queensland. Workplaces, communities and schools from all over Queensland are eligible to enter the competition.
Jellinbah Mines were not the only winners for their region of Central Queensland but went even further to take the prize of Queensland's Healthiest Workplace and were awarded prize money of $35,000 to invest further in the 'engagement strategies for men' to get more blue collar workers participating in preventative health programs. Ford Health is delighted that one of its long term customers is receiving recognition for years of effort by several parties at Jellinbah.
Who are Jellinbah Resources?
Jellinbah mine has been operational in Queensland's Bowen Basin since 1989. The mine is open cut operations (truck and shovel) with run of mine operations producing nearly 4 million tonnes of coal annually. The mine is a predominantly blue collar workforce involved in day-to-day operations in professions such as engineers, operators, diesel mechanics, prep plant operators and mine management.
What have they done?
Dr Toby Ford has a lengthy involvement in the Bowen Basin and in a previous life occupied the role of Nominated Medical Advisor for many mines, especially the mines on the Capricorn Highway between Emerald and Rockhampton. Toby has been involved with the operations at Jellinbah since 1989 with a special interest in providing services to the staff to boost their knowledge and awareness of their own health. The wellbeing program has been offered to all employees since the mine started and has morphed into a sophisticated health program. Ford Health has been the provider for 20 years making it one of the most established relationships in the coal mining industry.
The relationship hasn't been without hiccups, like all industries the mining sector faces it's own unique challenges - one of which is a strict set of guidelines indicating whether or not an individual is fit-for-duty. With Ford Health completing both the fit-for-duty services and also the wellness services there was a clouding of boundaries as to what is considered confidential and what is fed back to the employer. This apparent conflict of interest led to Toby relinquishing his responsibilities as NMA so he could focus his efforts on the health and wellbeing services. Since 1999 the program has continued to progress and has helped the mine management further understand the relationship between their workforces's health (while doing 12 hour shifts) and the role this can play in them developing chronic incipient disease. The program progressed even further to act as a tool to position Jellinbah as an employer of choice. Contractors to the mine were brought into the fold of the health program, including: LCR Lindores, Comiskey Earthmoving and Champion & Martin.
The program has progressed even further to now offering all staff on the mine a comprehensive health check that consists of a 30 minute consultation with an exercise physiologist and a 30 minute consultation with a doctor. Their long relationship with Toby has meant that although he has a large team of doctors he has continued to go and see his 'golden oldies' out at Jellinbah as Ford Health has expanded, despite not being involved with any other mine sites as their doctor. Toby and his colleagues visit Jellinbah between three and four times per year to help boost the staff wellbeing.
In their central Queensland location, Jellinbah staff had trouble accessing doctors and health professionals to tackle any personal issues that were raised in all the above program. To counter this Jellinbah have gone even further using Ford Health and alliance companies to provide services including dietitian consultations, skin checks, ergonomic checks and counselling.
Once again Ford Health congratulates Jellinbah on their award. It truly is recognition of hard work and perseverance to create something that is unique, generous to staff and just plain good!
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