Pelargos FactoryGreece

The Pelargos factory is based in Southern Greece and is a subsidiary of a larger company, ELAIS S.A. It produces canned tomatoes and othertomato products and employs 42 full time workers.

Pelargos was founded in 1926 andis both economically successfuland considered by the local com-munity to be a valuable asset. Itholds the ISO 9002 certificate andis currently working towardsobtaining the International SafetyRating System (ISRS).

Employee participation

Occupational health and safety andworkplace health promotion fitsinto the Total Quality Managementethos. Employees participate in thedecision making process and lookat ways in which their working con-ditions and health and safety canbe improved. All decisions aremade following consultationbetween employee representativesand management. Employees canalso comment on health and safetymeasures and make suggestionsby filling in a form called “Oppor-tunities for Improvement”. All deci-sions are made following consulta-tion between employee representa-tives and management.

Employee friendly work patterns

Staff work three shifts at the Pelar-gos factory, including a night shift.However, employees can alter their

work schedules if they have per-sonal problems. Management isalso flexible towards working par-ents. Employees are happy withthis system and have voiced nocomplaints.

Statutory health and safety regulations

Pelargos conforms to Greek OHSlegislation. The company employsan on site safety engineer, but allemployees are familiar with the firedrill, operating the fire extinguish-ing system and have received firstaid training. An occupational doc-tor visits the factory every week.The factory is inspected regularlyby the regional health and safetyinspectorate and everything hasbeen found to be in good order.Production units in Pelargos areergonomically designed for maxi-mum comfort and are heated dur-ing the winter months. All equip-ment is tested regularly. Staff canrelax in the works canteen duringtheir lunch breaks; facilities forstoring personal belongings and anarea for changing into work clothesare also offered. All other statutoryrequirements are met in order toensure the safety and well-being ofemployees. For example:

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Pelargos FactoryGastouni N. Ilias GR - 27300 AthensPhone: +301 4896425-499Contact: Ms. K. Velitzelou and Mr. A. Karalis

n Smoking is banned in the factoryareas.

n Fire extinguishers are sitedthroughout the factory andoffices.

n There are emergency exits in allworking areas and offices.

n Production units are spacious,well lit and properly ventilated.

n Production units are cleaned reg-ularly and undergo professionalfumigation which takes place ona regular basis and is monitoredby the safety technicians.

n Production is mechanised andsemi-automated so that employ-ees only come into contact withthe product when absolutelynecessary.

Taking responsibility for OHS

Pelargos has a written policy onHealth, Safety and the Environ-ment. Responsibility for OHS isshared between employees, com-pany management, occupationalhealth and safety officers, safetyengineers and the occupationaldoctor. Good communicationbetween these parties has resultedin improved safety and enhancedemployee satisfaction. Employeestake an active role in health andsafety issues and there is anencouraging level of attendance atseminars and health and safetycommittee meetings. Employeesare given the opportunity to sug-gest improvements and have madea valuable contribution.

Workplace Health Promotion

Workplace health promotion isdealt with jointly by the company’ssenior health and safety officersand the occupational doctor.Employees undergo pre-employ-ment medical examinations andfollow-ups. Based on these exami-nations and on employee sugges-tions, workplace health promotionactivities have been organised.

The WHP programmes carried outat Pelargos have been wellreceived by staff. These include:

n First aid trainingn Seminars on earthquake proce-

duren Seminars on correct use of fire

extinguishers and safety proce-dures in the event of a fire

n Training seminars on lifting techniques

n Personal hygiene n Information on working on a

personal computer, avoiding eyestrain etc.

n Seminars on dealing with stressn Oral health promotion pro-

grammes.

Welfare related activities

Pelargos provides private medicalinsurance for all employees andtheir families (which also coversdental costs) as well as paying thecompulsory employer’s contribu-tion to the National Insurance Fund(IKA). Company policy supports the

reintegration of long-term sickemployees into the workplace(although such cases are rare). Thecompany has a positive attitudetowards employing disabled peo-ple and has employed disabledstaff in the past.

Pelargos co-operates with localauthorities on environmentalissues such as dealing with indus-trial waste.

Positive Results

Employee satisfaction has risensteadily following the implementa-tion of health and safety measures.Occupational accidents are rareand the company has experiencedno serious or fatal accidents inrecent years. Absenteeism due tooccupational sickness is minimaland a low staff turnover reflectsemployee satisfaction.

Occupational health and safety offi-cers are already working towardsthe design and implementation offurther workplace health promotionprogrammes such as screening forbreast and cervical cancer andseminars on heart disease and dia-betes. Future plans include thebuilding of an athletic centre foruse by Pelargos employees.

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Zeneca Hellas S.A. Greece

Zeneca is based in an industrial region close to Athens and employs 32people. It produces pesticides and public health products. In 1999, it waslisted among the 100 most successful companies in Greece. Zeneca wasone of the first companies to obtain ISO 9002 and was also given anaward for its excellent performance in safety, health and the environ-ment. The company is not part of a supportive structure.

Employee participation

Zeneca has a policy of involvingemployees in work related matters.Discussion on OHS problems isencouraged and suggestions wel-comed. Employee knowledge andexpertise is valued highly and it isunderstood that everyone has animportant contribution to make.Many important health and safetyimprovements have come about asa direct result of consultation withstaff. Small tokens of appreciationare given to employees who sug-gest practical solutions to prob-lems within the company. Althoughregular meetings with staff andmanagement take place, the vastmajority of employees expresstheir ideas informally with factorymanagement.

Statutory health and safety regulations

Zeneca employs an on site safetyengineer, an occupational doctorand employee workplace healthand safety representatives. Everypossible precaution is taken tosecure employees’ health and safe-ty, especially as Zeneca is involvedin the repacking of potentially haz-ardous chemicals. Special precau-

tions regarding such chemicalsinclude:

n Provision of emergency equip-ment for use should a workercome into contact with chemi-cals

n Cleaning all production areaswith special machines at the endof the working day

n Preventing contaminated waterleaving the site

n Providing a separate exit in theshowers so that workers cannotcarry chemicals home

n Destroying all chemical storagecontainers safely on the factorypremises.

Feeling safe at work

Workers report that they feel safeworking with Zeneca. Managementbelieves that this is due to a num-ber of factors, including:

n Good communication betweenemployees and management

n Frequent seminars on health andsafety issues

n Information signs throughout thefactory reminding workers ofsafety measures and potentialhazards.

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Zeneca Hellas S.A.2nd km Kinotikis Odou Enofyta Agiou ThomaGR - 32011 Enofyta ViotiasPhone: +30 262-51600 Contact: Mr. R. Donalson and Mr. Zambogiannis

Exemplary working conditionsThe factory is designed ergonomi-cally throughout. Recent officerefurbishment provided morespace, while colour schemes werechosen by employees. Productionunits are spacious and well venti-lated but warm in winter. Free cof-fee and soft drinks are availableduring the employees’ 30-minutebreak. The company also providesemployees with their own lockersand a separate room for smokers(although smoking is prohibitedwithin the factory). Work schedulescan be organised to suit workingmothers and those who live faraway from the workplace. Trainingis an important feature at Zenecaand staff are encouraged to attendseminars and courses to updatetheir skills and keep up with tech-nological developments. The occu-pational doctor, technical safetypersonnel and chemists have beenon training programmes relating totheir occupational health roleswithin the company. When newemployees are taken on, training isprovided on dealing with chemicalsand the safe use of equipment.Their performance is closely moni-tored once they start work.

Workplace Health Promotion

WHP projects are overseen by theoccupational doctor and a seniormanager. Tests such as measuringblood pressure are performed bythe doctor, usually on the requestof staff. Personal medical profiles

are then kept on record. A numberof health promotion programmeshave been implemented: stoppingsmoking, safe driving, healthylifestyle, HIV/AIDS, fire safety andsafe lifting techniques. These havebeen well received by staff.

Welfare related activities

Zeneca provides private medicalinsurance for all employees. Thelong-term sick are supported andhelp is given to rehabilitate them inthe workplace (although such casesare rare). In one case, a chronicalcoholic employee was given medi-cal treatment and counselling tohelp overcome this problem. Thisemployee still works at Zenecadespite past medical and personalproblems. The company also oper-ates a positive policy towardsemploying disabled people. Compa-ny expertise on chemical produc-tion, safety and water sewage treat-ment is shared via lectures to otherpesticide industries and universities.Zeneca enjoys a good relationshipwith the local community.

Drawing conclusions

No serious or fatal accidents haveoccurred at Zeneca in the last 15years. Staff turnover is low; manyemployees stay with the companyuntil retirement age. Absenteeismdue to occupational illness is alsovery low. This points to a stronglink between good workplace

health and safety policies and ahigh standard of employee healthand personal satisfaction.

The most important factors neededto achieve this are good communi-cation channels, a willingness onbehalf of management to co-oper-ate with employees and listen totheir proposals and criticisms andgood working conditions.

However, Zeneca believes thatSMEs need greater support fromthe government if WHP is to flour-ish. Establishing health and safetynetworks and dissemination ofexperience and information is alsoessential, as is closer co-operationwith universities and colleges.

45

Chion A.V.E.E.Greece

Chion is a family owned company based in Patras, 200 km from Athens.It produces table salt and distributes it to the market in approximately 80different packages. It has been in operation for 60 years and employs 33full time workers.

Chion enjoys considerable eco-nomic success and rates 3rd in theGreek salt market. In 1998 it wasawarded ISO 9002. OHS authoritiessee Chion as a well-establishedcompany that provides a goodworking environment.

Employee Participation

Employees are included in the deci-sion making process. The companyis very informal and communica-tion is good, staff can easily talkwith owners and management asthey are in the workplace on a dailybasis. Employees feel free to dis-cuss their problems and reach asatisfactory conclusion. The factthat many people have beenemployed here for a long time alsocontributes to the friendly atmo-sphere. This kind of environmentencourages the exchange of ideas.

Flexible work patterns

Staff work day shifts at Chion.Occasionally demand for increasedproduction necessitates extra shiftsat night. Employees are happy withthis system as they alternatebetween the two shifts. Whenproblems arise, employees canchange their work schedule. Man-agement is also sensitive to theneeds of working parents and ishappy to be flexible.

Statutory health and safety regulations

Chion conforms to Greek OHS leg-islation and the operation is regu-larly inspected and approved bygovernment health and safetyinspectors. A senior manager isresponsible for implementinghealth measures in the factory.There is also an on site safety engi-neer and employees have work-place health and safety representa-tives. Because Chion has fewerthan 50 employees and is not in-volved in chemical production thereis no obligation under Greek law toemploy an occupational doctor.

All possible precautions are takento secure employees’ health andsafety, including:

n Fire extinguishers throughoutthe factory and the offices

n Emergency exits in all workingareas and offices

n Spacious and well-ventilatedproduction units

n Regular cleaning of productionunits

n Production and packaging ismechanised and employees donot come into direct contact withthe product. All employees in theproduction units wear specialuniforms and protective caps

n A technical supervisor trained insafety issues and skilled in oper-

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Chion A.V.E.E.Ag. Spiridon LeukasGR - PatrasPhone: +30 61 529493 Contact: Mr. K. Andreopoulos

ating the technical equipmentused in the production units isalways on hand

n A readily accessible first aid kit isprovided.

Responsibility for OHS

Safety is an important issue atChion and the company ensuresthat supervisors are well informedon health and safety matters. Signswarning employees of potentialhazards have been placed aroundthe building.

Excellent working conditions

Chion operates from a spaciousnew building. Production units areergonomically designed and arewell ventilated in summer andwarm in winter. Special attention ispaid to correct lighting especiallyduring the night shifts. Offices arealso spacious and ergonomicallydesigned with heating in the winterand air-conditioning in the sum-mer. Production areas are keptclean and litter free. Employeestake regular ten-minute breaks inspecial rest areas where they canalso store their personal belong-ings and change into their workclothes.

Updating skills

New staff are given detailed intro-ductions on how the plant operatesbefore starting work. Because thecompany has to maintain its com-petitive position in the salt market

production technology and equip-ment is frequently updated.Employees go to lectures and sem-inars to learn how to use this newtechnology and some also goabroad to further their expertise.

Workplace Health Promotion

Although Chion does not use anyflammable raw materials, all staffare familiar with fire safety rou-tines. Employees are also tested forskin irritation and respiratory prob-lems that could be associated withsalt production. Smoking isbanned. Chion has not yet devel-oped any other workplace healthpromotion activities, nevertheless itis still regarded as a model of goodpractice because the companyrecognises the importance of work-place health promotion and thebenefits to be derived from it. Pro-posed WHP programmes includestopping smoking, healthy living,and training seminars on correctposture and lifting techniques.Chion became aware of WHP whileworking towards the ISO 9002 cer-tificate with the regional health andsafety inspectorate. This point ismade in order to draw attention tothe importance of providing com-panies, especially small companies,with information on OHS and WHPand to help management explorethe possibilities of designing andimplementing specific pro-grammes. In most cases owners,particularly owners of well-estab-lished and successful companies,have a very positive attitude

towards developing OHS and WHP. Welfare related activities

Chion provides insurance for itsemployees through the compulsorycontribution to the National Insur-ance Fund (IKA). Company policysupports the rehabilitation of thelong-term sick, although such casesare very rare. Staff members wholive a long way from the factoryhave their travelling expenses reim-bursed. The company has a positiveattitude towards the disabled andcurrently employs a disabled person.

Reaching conclusions

No serious or fatal accidents haveoccurred at Chion and absenteeismdue to occupational sickness isvery low. Extremely long employ-ment periods (sometimes a per-son’s entire working life) indicatehigh levels of employee satisfac-tion. Both employers and employ-ees enjoy the benefits of betteroccupational health, improvedwork satisfaction and economicgrowth. These factors have createda fertile ground for future develop-ment of OHS and WHP.

47

ISAGAIceland

ISAGA is a natural gas producing company employing 34 permanentstaff (23 men and 11 women). Over a third are specialists in their field,but still receive on-going training. This company is the only one of itskind in Iceland, it therefore controls the entire market. The enterpriseworks in close co-operation with the Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration, and their representatives inspect conditions, machineryand safety equipment regularly

About the company

When the company changedhands, a number of developmentswere made because the new own-ers were very concerned with safe-ty issues. It is company policy notto cut costs at the expense ofhealth and safety and the environ-ment. In fact, the new managingdirector’s first priority was to hire amanager to oversee safety andenvironmental issues and to look atquality matters.

The management firmly believesthat creating a good and securework environment creates betteremployees. A great deal of moneyhas been spent on improving work-ing conditions and work proceduresso that employees are less likely tosuffer from physical problems. Anenvironmental project to make thecompany more ecologically soundhas also been completed.

Maintaining high morale

Each employee has a personalinterview with his manager once ayear to discuss the situation atwork. Those who feel their work-

load is too heavy get help, anyonewho feels under employed canhave extra projects to work on. Attimes when the workload is at apeak, extra manpower is provided.

The company also rewards staff byorganising annual parties and avariety of entertainment. Employ-ees also make payments to an ‘artfund’ for buying paintings to hangin the workplace. These are exhibit-ed for 6 months, then employeesenter a draw and the lucky onesget to keep the paintings.

Health and safety in the workplace

The company uses an electronicdatabase to catalogue its healthand safety and environmentalactivities. Employees are informedof new developments via e-mail. If the employees are concernedabout anything, they can easilyinform the safety committee(employees are obliged to takeaction). The company employs asafety manager and runs a safetycommittee, even though this is notrequired by law. The company isnow planning to establish a qualitymanagement system too.

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Contact:Dr. Gudbjorg Linda RafnsdottirAdministration of OccupationalSafety and HealthBildshöfda 16ICE -112 ReykjavikPhone: +354 550 4658E-Mail: linda@ver.is

Member of the Linde Gas Group

Employees’ access to healthcareand safety services

A doctor looks after employeehealthcare. Employees have accessto hearing tests, influenza vaccina-tions if they want them, bloodpressure checks and cholesterollevel tests plus consultations onthese and other health matters. The company works closely withthe Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration and there is a com-pany safety committee on site thatemployees can turn to.

There is a canteen on site too. Theentire workplace is also smokefree, and the company encouragesstaff to quit smoking by paying forproducts such as patches that willhelp them give up.

Special welfare projects

n End of employment agreementshave been made with employees.

n Employees have been givenfinancial assistance and helpedto return to work after illness.

n The company made provisionsfor an employee who had toleave his job permanentlybecause of health problems.

The company also supports peoplein the community e.g. by givingdonations to help with the educa-tion of high school students (thecompany plans to set up a perma-nent grant fund) and runs an inno-vation competition for young people.

Employee satisfaction

The employees are working in ahigh risk environment and it givesthem a feeling of security to knowthat safety is taken seriously. Thecompany focuses largely on safetymatters, unfortunately health pro-motion hasn’t been accorded suchenthusiasm to date. However,employees are generally quite sat-isfied and there is little illness.

A successful enterprise

The business has grown. The own-ers feel that a caring image reflectswell on the company and has apositive influence on its customers.Safety measures that affect thecustomer directly have also beengiven priority, which has furtherenhanced the company’s image.Through the efforts of the compa-ny, staff have become more healthconscious.

Plans for the future

The organisation wants to carry ondeveloping its health and safetypolicies and to continue with stafftraining so that their skills can beupdated regularly. The enterprise iswell aware that its success isdependent on good staff and thatemployees are its most valuableresource.

Tips for other enterprises

Involve the employees becausethey have the knowledge and theexperience to come up with effec-tive solutions to problems.

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Reykjavík GraveyardsIceland

Kirkjugardar Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík Graveyards) is a service enterprise,employing a permanent staff of 27 (22 men and 5 women), most ofwhom work full-time. Although half the staff are specialists in their field,extra training is still provided. The enterprise is publicly owned and con-trols half the Icelandic market. The company uses the services of a private healthcare provider.

About the company

The company became interested inworkplace health promotion duringthe summer months. Maximumstaffing levels are required overthis period, but absenteeism washigh. As the company believes thatinvesting in a good working envi-ronment is amply repaid by thebenefits of a happy, stable work-force, it decided to address thisproblem by hiring a private health-care company.

In a specialist operation such asthis, it is very important to keepemployee turnover to a minimum,so a great deal of money has beenspent on improving working condi-tions and work procedures, inorder to encourage staff to staywith the company. A bonus systemwas introduced during the summerseason as a further incentive.

To help the staff feel included inthe decision making process and togive them a chance to voice theiropinions and share any grievances,informal lunch meetings are set upfrom time to time. The main pointsfrom the previous meeting are alsodiscussed to ensure that the mea-sures agreed upon have beenimplemented. Staff lose confidence

when improvement proposals arenot put into practice.

Staff are also encouraged toimprove their skills and the compa-ny pays for courses, whether or notthey are directly related to thegraveyard business.

Maintaining good morale

The company makes an effort tolisten to employees and to taketheir needs into consideration.Communication is essential if agood relationship is to be built upbetween employees and manage-ment. An effort is made to providepleasurable experiences for thestaff. For example, there is anannual barbecue during the sum-mer, work stops at noon and theafternoon is spent playing games.The works council also organisesan annual staff trip.

Health and safety at the workplace

All the supervisors have been senton a health and safety courseorganised by the OccupationalHealth and Safety Administration.It is made clear to staff from theoutset that they are responsible for

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Contact:Dr. Gudbjorg Linda RafnsdottirAdministration of OccupationalSafety and HealthBildshöfda 16ICE -112 ReykjavikPhone: +354 550 4658E-Mail: linda@ver.is

the tools and equipment they workwith. The company also employs asafety manager and employees areactively encouraged to use safetyequipment.

Smoking is not permitted in theworkplace. Financial support is pro-vided by the company for physicalexercise programmes. It also sub-sidises physiotherapy and rehabili-tation programmes and employeeshave access to counselling.

Money invested in healthcare isconsidered to be money well spentas a healthy, happy employee givesa better service and is more effi-cient. Once the company improvedhealthcare, illness decreased andthe employees’ attitudes to workimproved and they became morepositive and satisfied. The enter-prise has not assessed the situationfully, but sickness related absen-teeism has dropped, to a certainextent at least.

Employees’ access to healthcareand safety services

The enterprise has a healthcarecontract with a private companythat effectively meets employees’needs. Psychological provision istaken into consideration withinthis, and counsellors are on handso that employees can discusshealth or personal problems.

The enterprise works in close co-operation with the Occupational

Health and Safety Administrationand their representatives checkconditions, machinery and safetyequipment regularly. There is nospecific quality certifying system,but machinery is reviewed annual-ly.

Special welfare projects

n Additional counselling servicesare provided for employeesneeding extra help and access toa psychologist is also provided.

n The company employs a dis-abled worker.

n Former employees are invited tothe company for an annual visit.

Employee satisfaction

Generally speaking the employeesare very satisfied with their workand staff turn-over is low. Staff arealso happy with the health promo-tion project and absenteeism hasfallen. The bonus system has alsocontributed to reduced absen-teeism.

Plans for the future

Health promotion has been adopt-ed on a permanent basis andefforts will be made to build onwhat has already been achieved.The results of work carried out sofar have been extremely positive.Employees have responded welland are accepting greater responsi-bility for their own health.

A good image

This organisation believes that bycaring for its staff it has enhancedits public image.

Tips for other enterprises?

n Give greater consideration toemployees’ needs

n Improve internal communicationchannels

n Build confidence betweenemployees and managementthrough staff meetings. Manage-ment must listen to employees’arguments and ideas beforefinalising decisions on newinvestments.

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Health Promotion Starts With YouIceland

The healthy town initiative ‘Health Promotion Starts With You’ waslaunched with the aim of encouraging entire communities to improvetheir health and well-being by taking health promotion into their ownhands. It was also hoped that other towns would be inspired to followsuit. Húsavík was chosen to take part in the healthy town initiative. Ithas a population of around 2.500. This was the first time for it to beinvolved in this kind of project.

Working Together for Better Health

The ‘Health Promotion Starts WithYou’ – project is a joint initiativebetween the state (the Ministry ofHealth and the Directorate ofHealth) and the community, withfunding coming from both sources.It focuses on improving individuallifestyles and creating a betterhealth profile by adopting a pre-ventive approach and encouragingindividuals to be proactive regard-ing their own health.

How the project was set in motion

When the “Health Promotion StartsWith You”, project was launched inIceland, each town was allocated aspecial project manager and amanagement committee to organ-ise the day-to-day running anddevelop a strategy for taking theinitiative forward. The Ministry ofHealth and the town itself providedfinancial backing, but members ofthe management committee werenot paid a salary.

The project aimed to motivate thecommunity as a whole. It workedtowards improving the health of

the population by encouragingpeople to recognise and ultimatelyavoid health threatening lifestyleelements and to embrace thosethat promote good health.

As the aim was to motivate theentire community, the project man-ager decided it would be best tokick things off with something thathad a broad appeal and carry on ina similar vein, launching eventsthat would enthuse large sectionsof the community.

The management committee metregularly to work through a widerange of suggestions and puttogether a broad and varied rangeof events. Between the years 1994-97, 33 projects were launched.These included lectures on sport-ing activities, diet and drugs, aswell as family-days, car-free days,workplace health promotion andmuch more. The response wasgood to start off with and duringthe 1994-97 period the communitywas actively and enthusiasticallyinvolved. However beyond thatinterest began to dwindle. Enthusi-asm for the project could not berekindled despite it being heavilypromoted via advertisements and

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HúsavíkContact:Dr. Gudbjorg Linda RafnsdottirAdministration of OccupationalSafety and HealthBildshöfda 16ICE -112 ReykjavikPhone: +354 550 4658E-Mail: linda@ver.is

considerable press coverage in thelocal newspapers.

When Husavik became a healthpromoting town a private companywas contracted to carry out healthpromotion activities at the work-place. Great hopes were placed onthe expertise that this companycould bring in terms of WHP. Work-place health initiatives included lec-tures on a variety of subjects, mea-suring of employees’ heart rate andconsultation with physiotherapists.

Sadly, in Husavik, the project hasnot produced the results hoped for.The goals it set out to achieve weretoo broad and too ambitious andthe private company responsiblefor health promotion at the work-place did not live up to expecta-tions.

A less than successful outcome

The project failed to produce thedesired outcome for a number ofreasons. Sustaining public interestin the long-term proved to be diffi-cult. The project’s goals were cer-tainly too ambitious and its remitwas far too broad. Furthermore theprivate company contracted to runthe occupational health promotionprogramme proved to be a majordisappointment. Many employeesreported that they were unhappywith the company’s approach. Theyfelt that the manner in which theinformation was delivered waspompous and that the lectures

were far too wordy and long-wind-ed. They also felt alienated by thefact that the company placed heavydemands upon them in terms oftheir input and personal commit-ment. However, the work carriedout by the physiotherapists gener-ated a more positive response andwas universally well received.

The community has thereforedecided to terminate its contractwith the private company. Not onlydid it fail to fulfill its obligations, itsservices were also thought to betoo expensive.

Despite these shortcomings, thetown is still a part of the healthytown initiative and the manage-ment committee has recommendedthat the project continues, eventhough there has been no activityat all for quite some time now.Ways of creating a better workingarrangement will need to be lookedat. For example, the project mightbe more successful if different ele-ments of it were carried out by dif-ferent companies, rather than theproject manager and the manage-ment committee trying to imple-ment a large-scale operation withsuch diverse and all-encompassinggoals. There also needs to be moredirect contact with members of thecommunity to boost morale andmotivation as well as increasedcontact with workplaces.

53

The Midland Health BoardIreland

The Midland Health Board (MHB) is made up of 58 sites – each one effectively representing an SME. The objective of the WHP project is toimprove employee health through stress reduction and prevention (on-site, work process related) and to improve their lifestyle. Reduced absenteeism is another objective.

Converse to the way such projectsnormally operate, MHB intends touse the experiences and practicalknowledge generated by this pro-ject in order to adopt an entirelyapt programme for its large organi-sations (hospitals).

Project partners

The MHB WHP project is a partner-ship between the Department ofHealth and Midland Health Boardenjoying support from a privateresearch consultancy. Additionalbenefits will accrue from the exper-tise to be made available by theRoyal College of Psychiatrists.

Developing effective procedures

The project features a number ofsuccessful strategies, notably a co-operative partnership approachbetween public and private sectors.Internally, the project demonstratesthe importance of organisation-wide support structures for the suc-cess of WHP. An action group wasformed, thus ensuring that the pro-ject has adequate support struc-tures throughout. The project iswell grounded, being based on athorough needs assessment, whichidentified action priorities in theareas of stress reduction and

employee lifestyle improvements.During the course of the project,due attention was paid to the con-cept of sustainability which wasbuttressed by employee empower-ment. Employees are involved ininitiation, planning, and conduct ofthe WHP project and all relatedactivities. A conscious effort wasmade to provide all necessary con-ditions for genuine participation ofthe staff in the WHP project as thebest way to ensure their ownershipof the project. In addition, appropri-ate measures are undertaken toensure that the project will be sus-tained in the long run.

Systematic needs analysis

The project action plan was basedon careful and comprehensiveneeds analysis. The main instru-ments used were research basedmethods, carried out internally (i.e.qualitative type of research usingmainly seminar type discussionsand quantitative research usingquestionnaires to survey the healthand lifestyle behaviour of the MHBstaff). In addition, various documen-tary research techniques were usedto complement the above. One ofthe products is the audit of sickleave conducted in selected loca-tions.

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Contact:Dr. Richard WynneWork Research Centre Ltd.1 Greenlea DriveTerenure IRL - Dublin 6WTel.: +353 1 492 7042E-mail: r.wynne@wrc-research.ie

Establishment of co-operation andcommunication structures

One of the earliest sets of activitiesto be undertaken was to establishco-operation and communicationstructures for the WHP project.Thus a network has been built ofpeople with an interest and stake inthe health improvement process.Another integral part of this pro-cess was to raise awarenessregarding the rationale and rele-vance of health improvement andto communicate and promote thewhole concept of the WHP project.All appropriate channels andreporting relationships for the pro-ject were established at an earlystage. The initial announcementswere made using letters, meetings,posters and poster addendum topayslips (so-called “pay stuffers”)where the target audience receivesinformation together with their paycheque or pay slip. Further detailson the project were communicatedusing newsletters, presentations,seminars and workshops.

Information on project objectives

There are two main project objec-tives, which are of immediate con-cern, as identified during the needsanalysis phase. The first one con-cerns stress management/reduc-tion/prevention on site which couldbe classified as primarily work andprocess related. The other onefocuses on employee lifestyle aim-ing to promote exercise and make

it a standard feature of employeelifestyle. As far as the stress pre-vention aspect of the project isconcerned, it was decided to tacklework stress at the source, dealingwith issues such as problems inwork relationships and problemsdue to factors intrinsic to the job. A detailed plan for an exercise pro-gramme was worked out and hasbeen implemented. Instructors whocould carry out classes were select-ed. These individuals were givenadditional training in Health Pro-motion. As far as particular exer-cise activities are concerned, hill-walking and circuit training exercis-es were prioritised, together withstretching exercises. An importantaspect of this segment of the pro-ject were educational classes, high-lighting what constitutes physicalactivity, benefits of it, and appropri-ate goal setting. Finally, variousmotivating techniques and tacticswere used, from “one to one”assessment and empowering ses-sions to peer support / events.

Positive Results

A notably effective feature of theproject was its “hands-on”approach, with the emphasis onlearning through doing. This,among other things, particularlyillustrates the practical value of thethorough methodological approachto the whole project. At the sametime, the project has managed todemonstrate the usefulness of thetheoretical models used (for exam-

ple, models of health behaviourdesigned by Prochaska and Cle-mente applied to physical activity).

Evaluation has already been car-ried out with respect to the exer-cise programme, mainly relying onfirst hand self-reporting by the par-ticipants in the programme, withencouraging results. In addition,this segment of the WHP projecthas been thoroughly examined andanalysed, using various theoreticalperspectives (e.g. using models ofhealth behaviour applied to physi-cal activity).

Future perspective and commitment

Due attention was paid to the con-cept of sustainability of the project(which is somewhat related to theprevious one of ownership). It wasenvisaged that the best way toensure that the project will be self-sustaining was to fully empoweremployees to participate. Thisempowerment was achievedthrough identifying and trainingemployees capable of organisingand conducting the required aspectsof the project. Of course, this pro-cess had to be accompanied by ade-quate delegation procedures andfacilities provision, and could onlybe conducted in an atmosphere ofmutual trust.

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Work and Health in the Irish Construction SectorIreland

The project objectives were to introduce a positive health care policy andpromote a healthy lifestyle amongst construction industry workers. Pro-ject partners were the Irish Cancer Society, the Construction EmployeesHealth Trust (CEHT), the Irish Heart Foundation and the ConstructionGroup of Unions.

Background of the project

The construction industry in Irelandis characterised by a myriad ofcontractors and subcontractorswhich are by and large, SMEs. Per-manent contracts are rare. Giventhis situation, the best strategy toensure that SMEs and theiremployees are reached is to adopta so-called “shot gun” targetingapproach to WHP, essentiallyundertaking an industry-wide cam-paign, with the focus on directlytargeting all workers engaged onselected building sites. The mainfindings highlighted that somegeneral health indicators of con-struction industry workers were rel-atively poorer than national aver-ages e.g. obesity levels, cholesterollevels, and the prevalence of smok-ing - on average 44% of themsmoked, while the national averagewas 31%. An unhealthy diet (literal-ly saturated with a high fat andirregular meals), was another seri-ous issue. Given the nature of theirwork, they were more susceptibleto skin cancer than other workers,and this provided rationale forlaunching three annual industry-wide skin cancer campaigns. It isworth noting that skin cancer ratesin Ireland are amongst the highestin the world.

Project infrastructure

A close co-operation was estab-lished with the Irish Cancer Societyand the Irish Heart Foundation, whoprovided expertise and staff. Thisrequired setting up a new infras-tructure whereby all serviceproviders work together. Employers’permission had to be secured inorder to facilitate health screeningon sites during working time. Lessformal but more relevant supportalso had to be obtained from vari-ous “gatekeepers”, particularlyfrom foremen on the respectivesites.

Needs analysis

Quite extensive research has beenundertaken in order to detect andadequately address the needs ofconstruction workers. Thus, initialhealth promoting initiatives under-taken by the CEHT were based on acareful examination of constructionworkers’ circumstances.

Action areas

n Annual industry-wide skin cancercampaigns

n On-site health screeningn Data gathering arising from

health screening programme56

Construction Employees HealthTrust (CEHT)Canal HouseCanal RoadIRL - Dublin 6 Phone: +353 1 4068007

The Irish Cancer Society5 Northumberland RoadIRL - Dublin 4Phone: +353 1 6681855

The Irish Heart Foundation,4 Clyde RoadBallsbridgeIRL - Dublin 4Phone: +353 1 6685001

Construction Group of Unions31/32 Parnell SquareIRL - Dublin 1 Phone: +353 1 8897777

n Research project “Patterns of Ill-Health in Irish ConstructionIndustry Workers”.

Steering a successful course

Due to the prevalence of a particu-lar type of macho style culture, neg-ative peer pressure often operates,reducing responsiveness to healthpromoting advice. Therefore animportant facet of the strategy wasto have confidential, “one to one”consultations. Conducting theseproved to be a very rewarding exer-cise indeed. The majority of con-struction workers generally havevery low GP consultation rates andthese sessions were used to com-pensate for that. Some of theseindividual sessions were effectivelycounselling sessions as well, withindividual workers, once reassuredabout confidentiality ‘opening up’and discussing other pressingissues for them (e.g. family prob-lems, alcohol problems, etc.). Giventhe construction industry workers’circumstances and their lifestyle,the partners in the CEHTs WHP ini-tiative (the Irish Heart Foundationand the Irish Cancer Society) appearas natural allies in this health pro-moting project. These partners ini-tially highlighted some nation-widehealth issues and concerns, whichwere subsequently used as a basisfor formulating health-promotingcampaigns for construction industryworkers. Thus this co-operationhighlighted the need for actionregarding coronary disease preven-tion (according to national and

international data, Ireland has oneof worst records in Europe in thearea of coronary disease). Similarly,given the prevalence of male work-ers in the industry, the need foraction regarding so called “malecancers” has also been identified.This data in turn was used to for-mulate a “quit smoking” campaign.This campaign was organised in theconjunction with the Irish CancerSociety who provided support andmonitoring to the participants (whohave volunteered to take part). The“quit smoking” campaign evenincorporated a piece of clever mar-keting - one of the participants wona holiday abroad for two weeks. TheCEHT has research findings regard-ing sickness patterns in the con-struction industry in the last threedecades. There is no doubt thatthese findings will be valuable fordesigning future health promotinginitiatives.

Developing an effective strategy

A number of implementationstrategies proved both effectiveand successful. Probably the mosteffective strategy was directly tar-geting construction workers at theirworkplaces, and offering conve-nient, free health check ups, healtheducation, advice and consultation.

Factors contributing to the successof the project included:

n Easy access to the WHP pro-gramme and its general inclusive-ness (it is open to all regardless

of the grade and position held)n A participative set up and partner-

ship framework between tradeunions (construction industry tradeunion), public bodies (Departmentof Health and Children) and volun-tary health promoting bodies

n No direct cost involved to eitheremployees or employers

n Minimised disruption to the work-flow (enhancing the acceptanceby employers)

n The absence of any “hidden agenda”

n Realisation that the WHP positive-ly contributes to profitability viaemployee performance

n Good image of the partners in theWHP project (The Irish CancerSociety, the Irish heart Foundation)

n The type of delivery of the WHPprogramme – focus on face toface approach

n Getting all relevant players ‘onboard’.

Looking at the results

It is too early to ascertain whetherthe state-of-health has beenimproved, as there is no hard dataavailable, but anecdotal experienceand feedback are very positive. Thiswas communicated to the CEHT byall parties involved. The whole pro-ject is designed to be self-sustainingand all partner organisations are ful-ly committed to furthering the activ-ities undertaken thus far.

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Preventing Stress in TeachingIreland

The Preventing Stress in Teaching project aims to control the effects ofwork on health, in this case by identifying and advising on stress, andseeking to mitigate and eliminate this occupational work hazard.

The major enablers for the successof the Preventing Stress in Teach-ing WHP project were the twoteachers’ trade unions i.e. theirexecutive staff and research offi-cers. In addition, the project wasdesigned to maximise the involve-ment of teaching staff and tradeunion members.

Background

The origins of this project can betraced back to 1991, when teachingtrade unions in Ireland funded amajor study of stress in the profes-sion, undertaken by the WorkResearch Centre (WRC). This study,significant in itself for highlightingthe negative repercussions of occu-pational stress, has also providedan initial grounding for the currentWHP project i.e. it represented anextremely thorough needs assess-ment, which has identified actionpriorities in the area of stress pre-vention.

Working conditions conducive togood health

The first step for the pilot phase ofthe programme was the selectionof schools that would participate inthe project. Four schools wereselected, paying due attention to allrelevant factors. Thus their

resources and funding varied frompublicly funded schools (directlyfrom the Department of Education)to privately funded (so called “fee-paying” schools). Attention wasalso paid to their location (e.g.rural versus urban, big city versustown), size (schools varied in size,from 18 employees to 60 employ-ees) and the socio-economic back-ground of students. In the Irishcontext, there is another interestingtypology of schools, which aredivided in terms of their back-ground on denominational (secu-lar) and religious schools. In addi-tion, pupils’ gender can be anothercleavage, with religious schoolstending (this was particularly thecase in the past) to be “all-boys” or“all girls” schools. Of course, thewillingness and commitment toparticipate in the work of the pro-ject were crucial selection criteriafor these schools and their teach-ers.Once instituted, it was envisagedthat an effective stress preventionprogramme would yield the follow-ing benefits:

n Improvement in teachers’ healthand job satisfaction

n Development of a stress preven-tion policy

n Improvement of the social cli-mate in the school

n Improvement in the quality ofteaching

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ASTIPhone: + 353 1 6719144http://www.asti.ie

TUIPhone: + 353 1 4922588http://www.tui.ie

Eagle StarPhone: + 353 1 2831301http://www.eaglestar.ie

Irish LifePhone: + 353 1 7042000http://www.irishlife.ie

Work Research Centre:Phone: +353 1 4927042http://www.wrc-research.ie

n Improvement in absenteeismrates

n Improvement in the generalwork environment

n Improvement in the problemsolving capacity of each individ-ual school

n Establishment of a continuousprocess of stress prevention.

These objectives were to beachieved using a methodologywhich would only require a mini-mal outside assistance.

Establishment of co-operation andcommunication structures

The project preparatory phaseincluded building a network of peo-ple and organisations with an inter-est and stake in the healthimprovement process in teaching.This step resulted in insurancecompanies coming on board, offer-ing funding, as well as their politi-cal support. Another integral partof this process was to raise aware-ness regarding the rationale andrelevance of stress prevention withregard to health improvement.Finally, an important feature of theproject was the continued supportextended to the participatingschools and their teachers through-out the duration of the project, cul-minating in training sessions forteachers in order to equip themwith the “know-how” required forthe running of the project.

Developing successful strategies

The Preventing Stress in Teachingproject illustrates how a workplacehealth promotion project canattract interest and support fromcommercial agents. Another suc-cessful feature of the project wasthe availability of support struc-tures for teachers, such as trainingand general support throughoutthe pilot phase being extended bythe WRC. Furthermore, the senseof ownership over the project bythe participants has been max-imised because teachers have beenactively involved and consultedthroughout all relevant phases ofthe project. Crucially, teachersthemselves will now entirely takeover the running of the project.One measure currently beingimplemented is the formation of apanel of trainers to help facilitatenation-wide adoption of the stressprevention methodology. This isthe ultimate step towards a com-prehensive application of themethodology and, subsequently,wide-scale institution of the stressprevention policy.

Results

Though no formal assessment wasundertaken, anecdotal evidencesuggests that satisfaction levelswere high and that the measuresimplemented during the stress pre-vention project were effective. Allof the participating schools indicat-ed that they had received benefit

from the project and that theywould be willing to undertake simi-lar measures in the future. In gen-eral terms, teachers found themethodology to be very useful inraising and addressing workplacestress issues.

Teachers’ satisfaction has beenincreased (this data relates to thefour Irish schools where the projectwas piloted), not least because oneof the most pressing issues forthem has been tackled in a com-prehensive manner. Limited track-ing of the progress of stress pre-vention plans also took place, andit appeared that the actions takenwere both feasible and effective.

Future perspective and commitment

As far as the future of the project isconcerned, the efforts that havebeen made in this regard arebeginning to produce the desiredresults. Sustainability of the projecthas been ensured by the effectivetake-over of the project by teachersthemselves. The design of themethodology was sensitive to par-ticipants’ empowerment, and thereis a scope for participants to designthe best solutions for their ownschools. This in turn should have apositive impact on the future com-mitments to the project.

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Banca Agrileasing Italy

Banca Agrileasing forms part of Cooperative Credit. 14 branches operatethroughout the country. Banca Agrileasing was set up twenty years agoand offers exemplary financial options specifically aimed at meeting theneeds of SMEs and craft enterprises.

242 people are employed at thebank. Nobody works night shiftsand 15% of employees work part-time. All have a degree or have hadsome form of specialist training.

Maintaining good communications

Although members of the organi-sation only meet face-to-face oncea year at the AGM, regular contactis kept up via the intranet. Keepingthese communication channelsopen is seen as an important ele-ment in the successful running ofthe business.

At the AGM, the president runsthrough the main issues to havefaced the company throughout theyear and talks through the projectsplanned for the year ahead. Thesefuture aims and objectives arecommunicated to every employeebefore the meeting via the intranet.This gives everyone plenty of timeto assess these proposals andmake a contribution at the meetingif they want to.

Regular contact between thebranches is also kept up via a twicemonthly video conference, e-mailand a net newsletter.

Staff contributions are very wel-come. All the employees are

encouraged to voice their opinionson how the organisation operatesand to make suggestions as to howthe workplace could become saferand healthier on a daily basis. Allthese suggestions are registered bythe “Prevention and Safety Ser-vice” (SPS), and immediate actionis taken to see what can be done tomake the necessary changes. Morecomplicated issues are discussedin detail before they can be put intopractice, but things still movealong quickly. Responding speedilyto improvement suggestions isessential if the process is to main-tain its credibility.

The SPS is also responsible forexplaining the implication of newhealth related laws and regulationsto staff. It produces comprehensiveinformation leaflets that are dis-tributed to all employees. The ser-vice also directly manages part ofthe intranet, providing a site whereemployees can access informationon health and safety issues andguidelines relating to these matters.

The role of health at work: how it affects the enterprise

Last year the organisation made acommitment to reduce smokingamong staff members. Informationleaflets were handed out, meetings

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Banca AgrileasingMaurizio CarastroP.le L. Sturzo, 23I - 00144 Roma Phone: +39 06549141E-mail: agrileasing@agrileasing.it

organised and stop smoking pro-grammes set in motion. Those whopreferred to do so could attend anexternal quit smoking programme.

Emphasis is also placed on contin-uous training and a budget is setaside each year for courses andeducational programmes.

Creating a pleasant working envi-ronment is a major issue too. Thecompany is keen to ensure that theworkplace is a safe, healthy andenjoyable place to be in order toget the best out of staff.

A number of facilities are provided.A canteen/catering service is avail-able at each branch and specialdishes can be prepared for thosewho request them. Sports facilitiesand relaxation areas are offered asare medical services.

If employees are off sick for a longtime, efforts are made to findappropriate roles for them withinthe workplace that suit their stateof health. For instance, it is possi-ble for individuals to work part-time if the demands of working afull day are too great. Staff experi-encing personal problems are alsodealt with sympathetically. Lastyear one employee was allowed towork from home for a while andthe company set up all the equip-ment to make this possible.

The role new technology plays inpromoting health and safety is alsolooked at closely – for instance IT

makes it feasible for people towork effectively from home.

The company extends its healthpromoting activities to the widercommunity. A large proportion ofemployees belong to the Red Crossand the organisation sponsors anumber of this charity’s initiatives.The company also works closelywith the fire service and the policeto maintain the highest standardsof security.

Looking at positive results

The company recognises that itsworkforce is its most valuableresource. It also firmly believes thata happy, healthy motivated work-force is something to be aimed for.Its philosophy is that satisfiedworkers produce better results.Motivated workers are also a cru-cial factor in keeping customerssatisfied and for generating andmaintaining new business. Imple-menting a policy that safeguardsthe heath and well-being of employ-ees reaps positive economic benefits.

No structured analysis of employeeand customer satisfaction is under-taken, i.e. via questionnaires. How-ever, as both these elements areconsidered to be so vitally impor-tant, they are under constant scruti-ny, albeit informally.

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Brunello Cucinelli Cashmere Italy

Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A. Cashmere, was founded in 1978 and is part ofthe Brunello Cucinelli Group which consists of three plants manufactur-ing elegant garments for men and women. The workforce is very young– the average age being 33.8. Nobody works part time and there are nonight shifts.

The economic situation at all threesites is good with a reportedgrowth of 10% during 1999. Fig-ures for the first part of 2000 lookeven better: 19 -20% higher thanfor the same period last year.

An egalitarian approach

The company believes that equalityand informality helps bring thebest out in employees. The samedemocratic policy is applied in allthree sites. Everyone is on firstname terms. This employee-cen-tred culture allows individuals toexpress themselves in a way thatisn’t possible in a strictly hierarchi-cal environment. The managementteam is very keen to allow eachemployee to use his or her person-al skills. In fact, when new employ-ees are taken on, the companytakes a very close look at the posi-tive benefits that individuals bringwith them. Personality is consid-ered to be an important factor interms of staff relationships too. As a happy working environment isenjoyed at all sites, managementdoesn’t want a new employee toupset this balance by bringing adifficult personality into the equa-tion.

Employees are actively involved inthe planning and decision makingprocess and are encouraged tovoice their opinions. Twice yearlymeetings are arranged so that anyproblems within the organisationcan be discussed and resolved.When a problem is identified actionis taken immediately to put thingsright. The situation is thenreviewed two months later to see ifthe steps taken are working. Staffhave an input into this process too.Very often these meetings are notnecessary as the channels of com-munication are so good, staff candiscuss problems with manage-ment at any time.

Employees have control over theirworking lives and the flexibilityencouraged by the companymeans that they can arrange theirworking hours to fit in with familycommitments. In fact, no formalpermission is required if a staffmember has to leave work early forfamily reasons.

Emphasis is also placed on devel-oping skills via practical, ongoingtraining and employee and cus-tomer satisfaction is evaluated reg-ularly.

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Gruppo Brunello Cucinelli Ciarapica M./Brunello CucinelliPiazza Dalla Chiesa n. 6I - 06070 Solomeo PerugiaPhone: +39 075 529481E-mail:

A focus on good health and well-being

Management always puts thehealth and safety of the workforcefirst. However, every single personin the company is expected to takean active responsibility for healthand safety too. Health promotionactivities are regularly reviewed bythe management team and thehealth of individual workersassessed periodically. Resourcesare set aside specifically for healthand training purposes, however nodefinite sum is allocated as activi-ties depend on the requests put inby staff. If a staff member is offsick for a long time, efforts aremade to reinstate that person grad-ually, so that physical and psycho-logical adjustments can be made.

Every year 40 employees (that is25% of the total workforce) go onexternal courses on a wide rangeof subjects – ergonomics, correctposture and lifting techniques, firesafety, first aid etc. Over the lasttwo years air conditioning systemshave been installed and new com-puter monitors introduced. Morecomfortable desks and chairs havealso been purchased following con-sultation with staff.

Before making any changes orinstalling new equipment employ-ees are always consulted first.Management is keenly aware thatchanges to the workplace affect

staff most of all, so they have to behappy with each and every devel-opment.

Creating a happy working environment

The business is run along the linesof a family. Staff relationships areexcellent and at the end of the yearincentive bonuses are distributedequally regardless of the seniorityof employees – a decision reachedby staff members themselves. Theatmosphere at work is extremelyinformal, yet highly professional.

Efforts are made to give staff asmuch time off as possible, at tradi-tional holiday times like Christmasand Easter, the company closestwo days earlier than other organi-sations.

Staff have a canteen where specialmeals can be prepared on request;break and rest rooms are also pro-vided, and there is a works medicalservice.

The community and the businessare strongly interlinked. Almostevery family has at least one mem-ber working with the company. Thecompany is very much aware thatit is located in a beautiful part ofItaly and it is concerned with main-taining the highest possible envi-ronmental standards. It has alsodonated money for a community

soccer pitch and has financed therestoration of a number ofmedieval buildings in the region.One building in particular, a formerfarm, is very significant as it hasbeen turned into an attractive com-munity resource where many cul-tural events are held. There is alsoa cafe there where local peopleenjoy meeting.

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Water TeamItaly

The Water Team S.r.l. is responsible for the entire cycle of water treat-ment: pre-treatment, processing, purification and recycling. High levels ofpurity are achieved and maintained by the internal chemical laboratorywhich is manned by qualified maintenance technicians and plant supervisors.

Eighteen people work here and allhave a degree or have completedsome form of professional training.Three work part-time but nobodyworks night shifts or is employedon a short-term contract.

Securing health and safety at work

At the end of 1995 official guide-lines were introduced to safeguardhealth and safety at the workplacefor all full-time employees plusanyone involved with the work-place on an intermittent basis.Employees are also responsible forcontributing to their own healthand safety by informing superiorsof any problems that might jeopar-dise their health and wellbeing.

Involving employees

The enterprise bases its health andsafety system on the OHSAS18001:1999 quality certificateguidelines. Bringing employeesinto the decision making process isthought to play an important partin improving health and safety.Staff have a day-to-day under-standing of the way the plant co-operates and have a valuable con-tribution to make. Staff are encour-aged to make suggestions for

enhancing the working environ-ment and these are taken seriously.Employees can either discuss theirthoughts directly with managementor make contact via e-mail or onthe intranet. In addition to theannual general meeting (AGM),three monthly meetings arearranged so that staff can air theirviews.

Two months before the annual general meeting all the employeesfill in a questionnaire anonymous-ly. Forty-two questions touch on anumber of areas: quality andimprovement, organisation, rela-tionships with other employees,pay, benefits, safety, communica-tion, management, personal satis-faction, personal development. Aquestionnaire also goes out to theclients in order to ascertain theirlevel of satisfaction.

At the AGM the results of the ques-tionnaires are presented and dis-cussed. Any problem areas identi-fied are talked through openly andmutually acceptable solutionsfound.

Analysis of the questionnairesrevealed that staff morale is quitehigh and that the atmosphere atwork is good. Staff are also happywith their working conditions and

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Water Team S.r.l. Pier Claudio Busignani (Director)S. Cristoforo, n. 1160I - 47023 CesenaPhone: +39 0547601040E-mail: waterteam@waterteam.it

job security. Customers are satis-fied with the service they are get-ting too. Despite these encouragingresults the organisation is commit-ted to continued improvement.

Last year (1999) the absenteeismrate was four days per employeeand only one accident was record-ed. Efforts are made to bring thelong-term sick back to the work-place, and an official policy on thisis in operation.

Health at work: taking things astep further

Improving the health of employeesis seen as a positive aim, not onlyin financial terms by reducingabsenteeism, but in terms of creat-ing a pleasant productive work-place that staff enjoy coming to.When problems are identified aconcerted effort goes into solvingthem and a budget is allocated forputting concrete measures in place.Emphasis is also placed on goodtraining and staff are encouragedto further their skills.

Health at work is regulated by law,but within this organisation healthand wellbeing is addressed overand above legal requirements:Measures have been taken to makethe working day as comfortable aspossible; employees have a can-teen/catering service where goodmeals are offered and special dietscan be catered for on request.Break and rest rooms are also pro-

vided, along with medical services. Programmes exist for bringing thelong-term sick back into the work-place, but staff with personal prob-lems are also looked after sympa-thetically too. For example, if a per-son needs to work part-time for awhile, this can be accommodated.

Social events where employeescan relax together are organised atleast once a year. These specialevents include a family dinner.

The business extends its social arminto the community and sponsors alocal cycle team and a number ofsocial and cultural community ini-tiatives. The enterprise also worksin partnership with schools, col-leges and universities and arrangesvisits to the plant and talks withstaff.

Looking at the results

Absenteeism within this businessis below average and staff turnoveris low. This indicates that employeehealth is good and that job satis-faction is also high. As indicatedearlier, analysis of the question-naires suggests that morale isexcellent and that there is a goodworking atmosphere and goodrelationships between staff. Jobsecurity is a factor that influenceswell-being and as prospects aregood here, this has a positiveimpact on employees. In 1998Water Team was the successfulcandidate and voted Italian Quality

Company; it was also awarded theEFQM European Quality Awardboth in 1999 and 2000 – the onlyItalian company to receive this dis-tinction!

There is no evidence that this poli-cy has improved productivity orthat it is economically beneficial,but management will continue tofocus on good health and a specificbudget has been allocated to pro-vide resources for health promo-tion activities over the next fewyears.

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