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News Archive July 2011 Rea Vaya takes staff pulse
| Rea Vaya takes staff pulse |
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| Thursday, 07 July 2011 |
The health of its workers is vital, believes PioTrans, which is why it has organised a health week and offered its staff medical tests and lifestyle information.
'A healthy driver is a safe driver,' says PioTrans's corporate affairs manager, Eric Motswane
PIOTRANS understands that a healthy worker is a safe worker; for this reason, the bus operating company has declared health week for its employees.
Rea Vaya bus drivers and PioTrans officials have been participating in a campaign called Safety on the Road Through Healthy Lifestyle.
It is pioneered by the Gauteng department of health and social development and seeks to prevent road injuries and non-natural deaths by motivating drivers to go for regular medical check-ups and to take breaks on long trips.
In the past two weeks PioTrans employees have voluntarily undergone a number of medical tests, including for HIV/Aids and prostate cancer. Blood pressure has also been tested.
The campaign started at Ellis Park Station on Monday; on Tuesday, it was the turn of the Dobsonville Depot staff. The Nancefield Depot staff had a turn on Wednesday.
Almost all employees at the Nancefield Depot, the bus garage, took the opportunity to have the health checks.
One bus driver, Joseph Mabasa, said he went to be tested so that he would know if he was sick or not. He also wanted to start living and eating healthily. Another driver, Noel Mahumani, encouraged all young people in Joburg who were sexually active to be tested and know their HIV status.
PioTrans's corporate affairs manager, Eric Motswane, explained that the company's management believed it was of the highest importance that staff check their health because the company wanted to conform to the City's health standards.
"We also just want to be reassured that we have healthy drivers because a healthy driver is a safe driver," he explained.
Taking the tests was voluntary, he said, but the company encouraged its staff to get tested. PioTrans wants to have an in-house medical person by the end of this year, who will monitor staff health and medical checks.
After is has appointed an in-house medical person, PioTrans will look into ensuring its canteens conform to the City's health by-laws.
"At the moment we have two canteens at two of our depots operating as a social responsibility of the company, but we need to get them to comply with the City's health by-laws," Motswane said.
The company was also looking into holding a safety campaign at both its depots. Drivers would be trained in basic fire fighting skills.
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