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AME Systems (Vic) is now a smoke-free workplace across the entire work site at 18 Gordon Street, Ararat and at its new plant in Melbourne. This initiative compliments many other health and wellbeing programs implemented over the past few years.
Smoke free Workplace Working Group members Sally Perry, Steve Rodis, Jacqueline Deane, Megan Clifford from the Grampians Goldfield Heathy Together Program, Jim Bendall, Garry Keith, Cyndi Bowater with the recognition certificate from the Victorian Government as a healthy workplace and successfully meeting state-wide benchmarks for smoking.
AME Systems (Vic) is now a smoke-free workplace across the entire work site at 18 Gordon Street, Ararat and at its new plant in Melbourne. This initiative compliments many other health and wellbeing programs implemented over the past few years.
In 2013 through Work-health funding AME Systems (Vic) undertook to offer staff workplace health checks which provided a profile of the health of workers with worrying results including body shape, diabetes, cholesterol and smoking. The business recognized via the report that through positive lifestyle changes such as work/life balance, fitness, nutrition and weight reduction there would be positive benefits for staff and the workplace.
A Health & Wellbeing Program was introduced with the priority to conduct a survey to identify issues affecting staffs health and collect ideas and activities that could be introduced to improve the mental and physical wellbeing within the workplace. The survey prioritised improving healthy eating and physical activity and identified that smoking was a high risk factor and there was a need to consider the introduction of a Smoke free Workplace.
To successfully implement a totally smoke free policy an all-inclusive approach was needed including ongoing consultation with Board Directors, Management, Staff Consultative Committee and staff.
The establishment of a Smoke free Workplace Working Group in 2015, including smokers and non-smokers developed a smoke free policy, prepared the environment and offered cessation support to staff. In addition a specialist in working with people wanting to quit smoking, Dr Lee Naylor from Fit & Healthy was engaged with up to 30 staff involved in the QUIT Program, joining in group sessions and receiving individual guidance along the journey.
Coinciding with the implementation of the smoke free workplace policy on July 1st, 2016, was the recognition by the Victorian Government of AME Systems (Vic) as being a healthy workplace and successfully meeting state-wide benchmarks for smoking.
Coordinated through the Cancer Council of Victoria Achievement Program, AME Systems (Vic) is one of 34 workplaces that have met all the benchmarks for smoking; of these five are manufacturing companies with AME Systems (Vic) the only one to go totally smoke free. Pleasingly, the Cancer Council will include AME Systems (Vic) journey as a case study to assist other businesses going smoke free. A further 64 workplaces are committed to the smoking health priority area and are currently working towards achieving the benchmark.
Chairman of the Working Group, Operations Manager Dean Pinniger said: “This is a fantastic effort for AME Systems (Vic) and becoming a smoke free workplace compliments the many other health and wellbeing programs that have been run or endorsed over the past five years including free health checks, healthy food for our bimonthly Best Practice luncheons, fresh fruit made available, company sponsored onsite physiotherapy service, exercise programs including the current yoga classes and of course the QUIT program over the past 12 months.
The Working Group has done a marvellous job and the support offered to staff wanting to quit has been well received and we will continue to provide assistance in the transition period. We are also inviting staff to put forward ideas to re develop the previous designated smoking area.”
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