Caltex’s magazine for employees, franchisees & resellers
Issue 50 Dec – Jan 10
Article Highlights
A long-term survey aimed at employees working with petroleum products has helped pay a major role in influencing industry safety standards.
In this issue:
Keeping a watch on employee health
Lytton refinery employees Rob Banks (left) and Ross Shaw – the study captures the health history of petroleum industry workers across Australia.
A long-term survey aimed at employees working with petroleum products has helped pay a major role in influencing industry safety standards.
Caltex employees handling petroleum products will soon be invited to take part in Health Watch, an influential study that tracks employee health in the Australian petroleum industry.
Launched in 1980, the study is sponsored by the Australian Institute for Petroleum with the independent oversight of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at Monash University.
Health Watch has been following the wellbeing of about 19,000 past and present employees of the Australian petroleum industry during their employment and after they leave or retire. Many existing Caltex employees are part of the study, however, it is now five years since new employees at Caltex were invited to join the study and there is a need to boost the numbers taking part.
“ Caltex is committed to supporting Health Watch because it helps us to protect the health of our staff,” says Paul Brough, Occupational Health and Hygiene Adviser, Caltex Operational Excellence and Risk. “The study helps us to identify patterns of illness or disease in employees across the industry.” By comparing the health of workers within the petroleum industry with the general population, Health Watch provides important information about risks associated with work in the industry.
Paul notes that Health Watch has historically enjoyed strong support from employees, unions and companies and is also well regarded internationally. “It has very high participation rates and a high level of independence, with oversight by the university.”
Importantly, the study plays a major role in influencing industry safety standards and behaviour. “In the early stages of the study it was found that there was a higher risk of leukaemia than in the general population, believed to be due to higher benzene levels in fuel,” says Paul.
“Now that benzene levels have been reduced and we have a better understanding of how to control worker exposure to hazardous chemicals, the instances of leukaemia in the petrochemical industry are no greater than in the general population.”
Significantly, the study also shows that petroleum industry employees have better overall health than the general Australian population and considerably lower death rates for common illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and respiratory and digestive diseases.
In the coming months all eligible Caltex employees will be contacted and invited to take part in Health Watch.
It will take employees 15-20 minutes to answer questions on their job tasks, health status and general lifestyle. The responses to the questionnaire are confidential to the employee and Monash University, and are not shared with third parties, including Caltex.
“We encourage people to participate. Their involvement is important in helping us protect their health, that of their workmates and petroleum industry workers across Australia” says Paul. “However, it is entirely voluntary and if anyone wants to opt out there are no problems and they can do this at any time.