From our friends at Victaulic (Dan H.)

Paul Fredricks_3

This reminds me of a program at Alcoa Aluminum. They adopted Toyota's True North idea, where you try to come up with an ultimate, though not necessarily reachable, goal and do what ever they can to try and reach it. As part of their safety program they came up with the goal that every employee should go home at the end of the day healthier than when they came in that morning. The results was a dramatic drop in sick days and work place injuries.

DanHolohan

Victaulic Employee Program Raises the Bar for Workplace Wellness

Easton, Pa., May 30, 2007 – Victaulic®, the world’s leading producer of mechanical pipe joining systems, is helping to keep its employees safe and healthy through an innovative workplace program. The Wellness Program, designed for employees to keep fit while having fun, has recently eclipsed 98 percent participation among all 3,200 of its employees.

Established in 2006, the wellness program has been embraced by the company’s 1,200 Lehigh Valley employees, half of which work in the foundry and various manufacturing plants. Since its inception, Victaulic reports that 2,971 blood pressures have been checked, 1,039 body compositions have been measured and more than 13,000 informational handouts have been distributed. The Victaulic Wellness Program has contributed to a 47 percent reduction in short-term disability hours for salaried employees.

The Victaulic Wellness Program is different from most manufacturing companies, whose programs take a passive approach to employee wellness. In 2006, Victaulic hired Wellness Coaches USA™, a provider of workplace wellness programs, to provide free personal one-on-one coaching to its employees during all three shifts. Two full-time Wellness Coaches are on site to discuss nutrition, exercise and overall health-related issues.

“This program started as a vehicle to provide employees with health-related information,” said Maryellin Treacy, Corporate Manager of Compensation and Benefits at Victaulic. “It’s evolved into a valued resource for healthy living and a positive impact on our workplace culture.”

The Victaulic Wellness Coaches organize effective on-site events including: health screenings for cholesterol and blood-sugar; hydration screenings and fitness contests. The current contest which started in April and will conclude in September is the Biggest Loser Challenge. Periodic weigh-ins and fun events in support of the challenge promote a healthy and friendly competition between the Lehigh Valley sites.

Bill Nagle, a Victaulic employee in Allentown, Pa., got involved in the Wellness Program when he decided to quit smoking. He reached out to the coaches to develop a personal exercise plan. They supported his smoking cessation but recommended he see his doctor before ramping up his workout routine. This turned out to be life-changing and life-saving advice.

“With the Wellness Coaches advice, I went to my doctor for what should have been routine tests,” Nagle said. “The prognosis was not good. The cardiologist found restrictions in two large arteries. I had stents put in and avoided open heart surgery. The Wellness Coaches guided me the entire time with an improved diet and exercise plan. I saw a 100 point decrease in my cholesterol. Their advice to go see my doctor saved my life. Plain and simple.”

Victaulic reports a dramatic increase in Health Risk Assessment (HRA) involvement in its employees since implementing the Wellness Program. Last year, 80 percent of Lehigh Valley employees took part in the HRA. These results are significant. Involvement in the program is completely voluntary and employees receive no compensation or rewards for participating in an HRA. HRAs help employees in their efforts to quit smoking, reduce stress, lose weight and prevent injuries. They’ve also added some forward-thinking elements including a pre-shift stretching program to reduce the risk of injuries at work.

At Victaulic, employees have access to smoking cessation, stress reduction, injury prevention and weight loss programs. In an effort to encourage employees to get involved on a larger scale, Victaulic developed a Wellness Action Team for employee volunteers to help promote and run events. Volunteers contribute to the education of their fellow employees by posting information sheets on select health-related topics in highly-trafficked areas and assist with special events.

About Victaulic
Celebrating more than 80 years of mechanical joining, Victaulic is the world's leading producer of mechanical pipe joining systems. Headquartered in Easton, Pa., Victaulic has manufacturing and distribution facilities worldwide and employs approximately 3,000 people. The company, in partnership with its subsidiaries, develops products for a full range of industrial, commercial and institutional piping systems. www.victaulic.com.