From Awareness to Action: The Secret of the Health School's Effectiveness

Health as a Factor of Sustainable Development

Ensuring safe and comfortable working conditions at remote sites is a serious challenge for any company. When production sites are located beyond the Arctic Circle, hundreds of kilometers from settlements, and employees work on a rotational basis, traditional approaches to medical care require adaptation. In such conditions, employee health becomes not only their personal responsibility but also a key factor in the productivity and sustainable development of the enterprise.

Irina Abyzbaeva and Natalia Butina share their experience in implementing a comprehensive approach to employee health management using the example of the RusVietPetro joint venture. The focus is on the Health School project, which has become an effective tool for behavioral therapy and the prevention of occupational diseases.

Prerequisites for Creating the Health School

The impetus for launching the project in 2023 was alarming statistics. In 2022, the company recorded an increase in visits to health centers and a rise in the number of sick leaves. Of particular concern were the results of pre-shift medical examinations: the number of workers with contraindications due to high blood pressure increased. Despite regular periodic medical examinations and check-ups, it became obvious that additional measures were needed to influence employees' lifestyles, which, according to statistics, account for about half of their health indicators.

Three Steps to Effective Prevention

The speakers analyze in detail the project implementation methodology, which includes three main stages:

• Analysis and prioritization. Based on medical monitoring data from various nosological groups, the three most critical for the company were identified: arterial hypertension, musculoskeletal disorders, and digestive system diseases. This allowed focusing efforts on solving the most acute problems.
• Development of programs and infrastructure. Specialized programs combining theory and practical skills training were created for the selected areas. Health School rooms were equipped with the necessary devices, including glucometers and cholesterol meters.
• Implementation and effectiveness evaluation. Classes are held in small groups (5-8 people) lasting up to 90 minutes. An important element is the annual analysis of results and comparison of statistical data to evaluate the school's effectiveness.

A Practical Approach to Training

Natalia Butina emphasizes that the rotational work method provides a unique opportunity for a systematic impact on employees' habits. During a 30-day shift, workers can regularly attend classes where they learn to eat right, monitor risk factors, and perform preventive exercises.

Special attention is paid to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In classes, employees learn to independently determine their risk level using the SCORE scale, taking into account age, smoking status, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. This clearly demonstrates the impact of lifestyle on the likelihood of developing fatal cardiovascular events.

Sports training specialists are involved in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Practical classes in gyms help employees master the correct exercise techniques, which they can continue to apply after returning home.

Implementation Results

Over three years, more than 300 employees have been trained at the Health School. The results speak for themselves:

• The duration of employee absence from the workplace due to illness decreased by 35%.
• The number of visits related to cardiovascular diseases dropped by 71%.
• The number of workers not admitted to the shift due to arterial hypertension decreased from 28 people in 2023 to 2 people currently.

The project received support from the corporate center and was cascaded to other subsidiaries of the company.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to organize effective disease prevention at remote production sites?
• What steps are necessary to launch a corporate Health School?
• How to use the SCORE scale to motivate employees towards a healthy lifestyle?
• What measurable results can be achieved through systemic behavioral therapy?