NOJA Power Achieves Gold recognition under Queensland Government’s ‘Healthier. Happier. Workplaces’ initiative

Electrical switchgear engineers NOJA Power today announces it has received Gold recognition under the Queensland Government’s “Healthier. Happier. Workplaces” initiative. The government initiative supports employers to create work environments that improve the health and wellbeing of employees, business productivity and workplace culture. Gold recognition is reserved for companies that have had relevant programs operating for two years and which demonstrate leadership and innovation in health and wellness. NOJA Power is the first privately owned firm to receive Gold recognition, joining an exclusive club that so far comprises only four Queensland companies with Gold recognition.

The award underlines NOJA Power’s commitment to safety as the highest priority for the company, acting as a guiding principle for its entire business. Gold recognition follows a Silver recognition award from the same initiative in 2013 and the presentation of a Highly Commended Award in the Queensland Safe Work Awards 2014 late last year.

The expert panel at the Queensland Government’s Department of Health noted that NOJA Power’s efforts in the area of workplace wellness were commendable. The panel commented that the company’s increasing variety of initiatives and innovations were a reflection of a commitment to wellness in the workplace. The panel also said that NOJA Power demonstrated it was an employer of choice that invests in and values its people.

“Our recent survey found that nine out of ten employees are satisfied with the safe and healthy working environment of the company,” explains Dr. Rabiul Alam, NOJA Power’s QHSE Manager and the chief architect of the company’s program. “Moreover, eight out of ten employees agree that the health and wellbeing initiative of the Company helped them and their families achieve real health and lifestyle benefits.”

NOJA Power started its health and wellbeing initiative in January 2012 and has since implemented a program entitled “Safety is important – health is your life”. By addressing factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, workplace injuries have been reduced by 29 percent (compared with the year before the program commenced), sickness by 48 percent and staff turnover by 62.5 percent.

NOJA Power’s experience mirrors research conducted in Australia and New Zealand by Right Management, a talent and career management company, which found that organisations that don’t promote health and wellness are four times more likely to lose talent in the next 12 months. [1]

“I am particularly passionate about our health and wellbeing program,” says Neil O’Sullivan, NOJA Power’s Managing Director. “The investment has had a significant positive impact on our overall business performance and our most important resource, our human capital, and both the company and its employees who take part are really reaping the benefits of the program. The company is experiencing better productivity while the staff is enjoying the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.

“This award builds on NOJA Power’s commitment to make safety a driving principle of everything we do,” adds O’Sullivan. “For example, we ensure our products are type tested for reliability and all of the company’s auto-reclosers employ arc fault containment to protect people on the ground in the unlikely event of failure.”

NOJA Power’s business is the design and manufacture of medium- and high-voltage switchgear for power utilities and as such the business is classed as a high-risk industry because factory-floor workers are exposed to high electrical current. To mitigate safety hazards, the company has adopted a risk-based systematic management approach for its operations.

The company’s commitment to improving and maintaining health and wellbeing of employees forms part of this management approach and is enshrined in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy Statement. The initiative is integrated in the Health Safety and Environmental Management System (HSEMS) of the Company which is certified to OHSAS 18001, AS/NZS 4801 and AS/NZS ISO 14001 standards.

References

1. “Wellness & Productivity Management – A New Approach to Increasing Performance,” Right Management, 2009.