Initiative takes change management approach to mental and physical wellbeing
The Victorian Transport Association’s (VTA’s) HeadFit, BusinessFit program is one of 26 to secure Commonwealth funding under the fifth iteration of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI).
The program is designed to effectively drive change and significantly improve the mental health and well-being across the Victorian transport and logistics industry, the association notes.
VTA CEO Peter Anderson welcomes the funding and the Commonwealth’s confidence in the VTA’s delivery of its program.
“Work-related and associated mental health problems are a major concern for the transport and logistics industry with around 17 per cent of workers reporting that factors within their workplace resulted in their development of a mental health condition – the fifth highest instance across all industries,” Anderson says, adding mental ill-health affects not only the health and wellbeing of employees but the productivity of operators, and that it makes good business sense to address mental health in the workplace.
How the Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds initiative launched, here
The project objective is to implement an integrated change management approach to mental health and well-being into transport organisations.
“It is designed to create a positive workplace environment in employer companies by building workplace cultures, positive leadership, systems and process and individual support into transport and logistics organisations,” Anderson says.
“To date, recognising and addressing work-related and associated mental health problems has been very small.
“The VTA recognises effective change requires proactively addressing the organisational and individual factors which influence work-related mental health issues.
“This project has an industry wide focus with real benefits for both industry and the community and will roll out over a two-year period across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
“It will promote and raise the awareness of mental health issues and facilitate and connect organisations with professional service providers when implementing an integrated approach to mental health.”
Over the past five years, more than $22.8 million has been allocated towards 89 projects under the joint federal government/National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) HVSI program.