Franki Construct

Franki Construct monitors the health of its construction workers through training and screening

Part of the renowned Willemen Group, Franki Construct is active in civil and industrial engineering. It relies on a workforce of about 200 employees for the completion of construction projects. “In consultation with Mensura, we motivate them to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” says Franky Van den Berghe, prevention advisor at Franki Construct. “And our initiatives are welcomed with open arms.”

Challenges

  • identify the unhealthy lifestyle habits of employees;
  • raise construction workers’ awareness of health issues in an accessible, impactful way.

Solutions

  • zoom in on health in the form of a workshop held on the annual training day;
  • organise optional health screening visits and formulate personal advice.

Advantages

  • greater awareness among employees of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle;
  • health gains in the form of more energetic, healthier employees.

“Samen met Mensura motiveren we hen om een gezonde levensstijl aan te houden”
We immediately noticed it in the positive feedback from our employees: the Mensura workshops have an impact." Franky Van den Berghe Prevention advisor - Franki Construct

 

Bridges, viaducts, combined heat and power plants, tunnels, water purification plants, office buildings, renovations ... This is but a teaser from the broad project portfolio carried out by Franki Construct. “Our construction workers do not shy away from any challenge,” says Franky. “But only fit, healthy employees can handle such heavy physical work. With this in mind, we sought Mensura’s advice.”

The health of workers under scrutiny

Construction workers have a physically demanding job. “They leave for the building site at five-thirty in the morning, have limited rest periods and are often too tired to exercise at night,” explains Wendy Laureys, prevention advisor-occupational physician at Mensura. “They therefore usually maintain unhealthy lifestyle habits, sometimes resulting in overweight or an increased risk of heart problems.”

“Our initial medical examinations confirmed that,” agrees Franky. “They also allowed us to identify the specific needs of our employees. Many construction workers indicated that they wanted information and advice about healthy and satisfying food, for example. Together with Mensura, we determined how we can achieve health gains.”
 

De enthousiaste deelname aan de bijkomende screening en de positieve feedback op Mensura’s workshop zijn veelbelovend

Customised awareness campaigns

The first crucial step was to raise awareness. Franky: “On our annual training day, during which topics such as mental fitness, a good night’s sleep and the risk of smoking were discussed, we also focused specifically on a healthy lifestyle. Mensura ran an interactive and accessible workshop to deliver valuable insights that construction workers easily integrate into their working life.”

“We developed a customised training for the employees of Franki Construct,” explains Wendy. “We discussed the topic of health as broadly as possible, and focused on specific habits, work rhythms and needs. For example, we gave explanations on food packaging and exercise standards, emphasised the importance of sufficient nutrients and healthy snacks when performing heavy work, and answered additional questions. Finally, everyone got the opportunity to undergo extensive health screening.”

A cardiovascular examination

The interest in getting additional health screening turned out to be surprisingly large. Wendy: “Half of the construction workers asked for the examination, which we recorded as a supplement to the annual medical check-up. We checked their cardiovascular health and performed a cholesterol test. Ultimately, this provided employees with their risk profile and action points. This, combined with the information from our workshop, gives them the perfect tools to work on improving their health.”
 

Verschillende collega’s vertelden me dat ze sinds de opleidingsdag bewuster omgaan met voeding en beweging.

The first health gains

The goal is to evaluate annually whether health gains are being made. “The enthusiastic participation in the additional screening and the positive feedback at Mensura’s workshop are very promising,” says Franky. “Several colleagues told me that they have put more thought into their nutrition and exercising since the training day. Some indicated that they felt more energetic, or lost a few pounds. We will continue to follow up, together with Mensura’s expert team.”

Keep your employees healthy

Employees are the human capital of an organisation. By investing in their health, you show your commitment as an employer and you prevent absenteeism. Discover what our health experts can do for your company on www.mensura.be. Or call us on +32 2 549 71 00 if you have a query.