Industry:
Chemical and metal
Employees:
Around 31,000 worldwide
Start with Deep Care
October 2023
At SABIC, we do everything we can to create the cleanest basis. This means: take good care of your employees, at all times and in all areas. Investing in high quality, with respect for personal space and safety.
Dr Henri Hendrickx - Senior Manager Medical Care, SABCIThe health of employees is no longer just "good to have" - it is a key success factor for companies. But how can the concept of "gezondheidsbevordering" and "welzijn duurzaam" be anchored in the business culture in order to guarantee "gezondheid op de werkplek"? Good initiatives for health promotion are often misguided by a focus on health, without there being any noticeable improvements in the health of workers or employees. The collaboration between chemical company SABIC, healthcare provider Zilveren Kruis and health tech start-up Deep Care shows how things can be done differently. They have developed an innovative concept for health care provision at the workplace, which not only promotes the health of employees directly at the workplace, but also offers economic benefits for the company.
Henri Hendrickx has been working for more than 35 years as an ergonoom and bedrijfsarts at SABIC Nederland. As a supervisor, he is responsible for health and safety at work, together with an interdisciplinary team of physiotherapists, consultants and support staff. At SABCI, this also includes the organisation of health monitoring at the workplace. Together with Zilveren Kruis, the largest Dutch supplier, SABIC has always followed a wide range of measures to ensure health and safety.
In veel opzichten hebben we het hier behoorlijk goed. We have an EHBO-afdeling with antibacteriële muren, ultramodern ziekenhuisapparatuur, een kleedkamer en een behandelkamer voor fysiotherapie. We offer first-class medical care, have our own pharmacy and our own vaccination programme. As an occupational health service, our most important task is really the supply of food and medicines. Therefore, we are always on the lookout for good prevention initiatives.
Dr Henri Hendrickx - Senior Manager Medical Care, SABCIThe greatest burden on the health of the cantor's employees is the amount of time spent walking. Het gebrek aan beweging en de eenzijdige belasting van het bewegingsapparaat door bureauwerk leiden tot een aantal klachten. Deze worden veroorzaakt door een daling van de stofwisselingsactiviteit, een tekort aan cellen, zuurstoftekort in de hersenen en gelijktijdige over- en onderbelasting van de bot-, spier- en gewrichtsstructuren. The variation in the number of concentration problems and stresses to chronic levels is statistically known in more than 70% of all employees from their own experience.
Het voorbeeld van Sabic laat zien hoe moeilijk het kan zijn om effectieve maatregelen te nehmen om de gezondheid op de werkplek van kantoormedewerkers te bevorderen. Thanks to ergonomic training and modern working methods, such as in high adjustable workstations, many workers remain in poor posture or move too little. This resulted in widespread complaints in the shoulders, necks and poles - typical symptoms of "continuous sitting".
In order to offer these services, SABIC has developed an innovative health and safety programme. Henri Hendrickx made contact with Deep Care via an internet study. The AI-ondersteunde gezondheidscoach Isa detects health risks such as poor lighting or too little movement directly on the workpiece with the help of sensors and provides real-time feedback to employees. The purpose is not only to improve the accuracy of the corteter, but also to ensure that the correct pressure is applied to the long term. To this end, the AI assistant accompanies employees to their office with simple health impulses over a period of a few weeks and identifies specific areas where action is needed. The tips vary from things like the use of a sta-bureau, lighting and drinking equipment to suggestions for the optimal development of the working environment, such as the ergonomic use of work equipment.
After an initial familiarisation meeting, SABIC decided to go straight into a test phase of four weeks. This showed how effective the technology is: Hendrickx, for example, received real-time feedback from his office. He had used sensors and intelligent AI algorithms to recognise that his shoes were permanently out of order because the office was too high. This practical experience overtook many of his colleagues to also test Isa. The positive experience quickly materialised, with the result that more than 75% of the cantoor medics at SABIC used the AI-hulp - with great success. There were no costs or inspiration for the workers. They were able to order the slim health assistant directly from their office via a Deep Care booking portal and use it for up to twelve weeks. At the end of their use, the returning employees received a return voucher and a digital questionnaire to evaluate the service anonymously.
Almost all of the employees were fully aware of the issue and were able to assess the company's new health programme based on personal requirements. The results were impressive:
Bovenstaande punten zijn slechts enkele van de vele positieve effecten op het gezondheidsgedrag. In addition to the effects on the employee's weight, many other aspects, such as frequency of use, ease of maintenance, etc., are analysed and also considered to be very positive.
In addition to increasing the number of employees, the labour regulations also lead to a more efficient shift of the target ratio and a higher level of work performance.
Our physiotherapist no longer treats lichamelijke diseases. As a result, they now have a lot more time to help people with preventive treatments, to assist with oefeningen and to provide information about specific exercise programmes.
Dr Henri Hendrickx - Senior Manager Medical Care, SABCIAlthough SABIC is recognised by its employees as an independent contractor and therefore has a long service life, the BGF rule also applies to the company's business operations.
De samenwerking met verzekeraar Zilveren Kruis speelde een sleutelrol in het succes van het project. Zilveren Kruis has been supporting SABIC for several years in the implementation of preventive health and safety measures. By providing benefits such as benchmarks or advisory services or, as in this case, financing innovative solutions such as Isa, SABIC can not only promote the health of its employees, but also charge the costs of health care over the long term.
"De lancering van Isa heeft laten zien hoe innovaties zoals die van Deep Care kunnen leiden tot echte verbeteringen in samenwerking met betrokken werkgevers. We hope that this case will inspire other organisations to take such initiatives."
Tom Splitthoff, advisor Gezond Ondernemen bij Zilveren KruisSABIC's health and safety concept makes it clear how important it is to implement health and safety rules in the employees' behaviour and to be open to new prevention concepts and ideas in the field of health and safety management. On the other hand, the evaluation report also shows that employee health can be used as a strategic instrument for a safe and healthy workplace when the employer makes sure that he takes care of the welfare of his employees. Dr Hendrickx encourages employees with a lot of personal experience to actively invest in the development of their employees, especially with a view to helping trained employees.
The collaboration between SABIC, Zilveren Kruis and Deep Care shows that health and safety measures with a clear focus on innovative technologies and changes in behaviour can be successful in the long term. De inzet van Isa heeft niet alleen de gezondheid van medewerkers verbeterd, maar ook tastbare meerwaarde voor het bedrijf gecreëerd.
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