Health
Hulamin regards employee wellness as a shared responsibility with its employees. In this regard the company equips employees with the appropriate education and healthcare facilities in order for employees to best manage their own health.
The good health of employees is essential to motivation, capability and productivity, and likewise offers benefits for employees and their families and friends. The enhancement of employee health also contributes to reduced absenteeism and promotes good working relationships.
Responsibilities
The HR executive leads the Employee Health portfolio, who reports to the CEO who, in turn, reports to the board of directors.
The South African Bureau of Standards conducts an annual audit of the Healthcare Centre, to ensure compliance with ISO 140001 certification (the Environmental Management System) and the OHSAS 18001 standard (Health and Safety Management System).
Approach
A broad range of stakeholders are involved in employee health, including the Hulamin board, management, employee representatives, employee families, health practitioners and the employees themselves. Hulamin is dependant on its workforce for valuable skills and experience, and thus the consequence of poor health affects Hulamin's performance across all indicators.
Several healthcare programmes are in place, including occupation health risk assessment and control measures, hygiene surveys and medical surveillance programmes (which comprise, inter alia, lung function tests, audiograms and eyesight tests). Biological monitoring is also conducted where appropriate. Vision screening, specifically for forklift and crane operators, has started.
A Healthcare Centre is manned by employees with the appropriate skills, competencies and qualifications in the field of medicine and Occupational Health Nursing Practices.
Health and wellness education programmes form a vital component of occupational health. Such programmes are also linked to wellness days which are held bi-annually. The key elements of these programmes include health and lifestyle education, and personal health assessment, including voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).
Progress is monitored through the reviews conducted by the Safety Committee, Health and Environment Committee, Risk Management Committee and the Healthcare Centre.
HIV/AIDS
Hulamin's HIV/AIDS policy provides guidelines for addressing HIV/AIDS related issues in the workplace. These include inter alia:
- Preventing unfair discrimination based on HIV status;
- Promoting a non-discriminatory environment in which employees living with HIV/AIDS are able to be open about their status without fear of stigmatisation or rejection;
- Promoting appropriate and effective ways of managing HIV/AIDS, which includes the following core elements:
- ensure appropriate structures, plans and programmes are in place to manage HIV/AIDS in the workplace;
- provide awareness, education and prevention programmes;
- provide treatment, care and support for HIV positive employees;
- monitor and address the impact of HIV/AIDS on business operations;
- participate in, and partner with, community initiatives; and
- Creating a balance between the rights and responsibilities of all parties.
Hulamin has set a goal for all employees to know their HIV status.
2010 Results/achievements
In total 902 employees went through HIV/AIDS testing in 2010, of which 121 were tested for the first time.
Hulamin has not yet met its target of all employees knowing their HIV status. A number of employees prefer to consult their own doctors without disclosing the results to the company.
As at the end of 2010, 222 employees (approximately 9% of the Hulamin workforce) were known to be HIV positive, and of these HIV positive employees, 60 were receiving antiretroviral (ARV) support from Hulamin as at the end of 2010.
(Note: these figures reflect the Pietermaritzburg main sites - Edendale and Camps Drift only.)
Expenditure incurred on ARV treatment for 2010 was R477 736LA.
