Charter Hall Group (Charter Hall) and Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (Healthy Heads) have partnered to launch a new nutrition awareness and education pilot program for Industrial and Logistics sector workers. The program has also been informed by Nutrition Australia. 

Charter Hall is a Premier Partner of Healthy Heads, a not-for-profit organisation established to improve outcomes in areas relating to psychological safety and physical wellbeing, across the road transport, warehousing and logistics industries in Australia.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) the average Australian adult consumes only half the recommended number of fruits and vegetables. Employees with unhealthy diets are 2.3 times less productive than their healthier counterparts. The research also reveals that for every $1 spent on employee health and wellbeing programs, there’s a return on investment of $5.81 for the employer. 

The 12-month nutrition pilot program aims to improve the health and nutrition of workers in the industry through the sharing of educational information, modification of menu items offered via on-site canteens or cafes, and increase access to healthier foods, ultimately influencing long-term behaviour change.

Metcash, which owns brands including IGA, Mitre 10 and Cellarbrations, is the pilot tenant customer for the program, piloting the program at its Crestmead Distribution Centre in Queensland, owned by Charter Hall.

Richard Stacker, Industrial and Logistics CEO at Charter Hall said, “Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds’ purpose aligns with Charter Hall's commitment to creating healthy places where people thrive.”

“In the past 12 months we delivered eight health and wellbeing events in partnership with Healthy Heads for initiatives such as R U OK? Day, reaching 1.400 workers across the country. This pilot program for warehouse workers is the latest evolution in our ongoing partnership and we look forward to continuing our work with Healthy Heads to improve overall wellbeing in our industry."

Naomi Frauenfelder, CEO of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds said, “There is a direct link between nutrition and our overall health. What we eat profoundly influences our brain power, and people who maintain healthy, nutritious diets demonstrate improved concentration, mood, mental health, performance, and productivity, which is why we’ve initiated this program.”

“A recent study by Monash University revealed that 70% of truck drivers did not meet the guidelines for a healthy and balanced diet, in response to this we ran a successful pilot program with a focus on heavy vehicle drivers, offering a healthier choices menu at 31 BP service centres across the country. We are already seeing positive results from that program, from strong uptake of the healthy menu items on offer and drivers reporting that eating healthier has made a real difference to how they feel. The long-term goal is to grow our nutrition program nationally, spanning across the broader logistics industry, with a particular focus on sheds, including warehouses, and distribution centres.”

As part of the pilot program, Nutrition Australia will also be hosting an online 60-minute master class and Q&A session for participating Metcash workers at the Crestmead facility covering a wide range of topics that link a good diet to overall improved health and wellbeing.

Nicole Lawler, General Manager of Safety, Health and Environment at Metcash Trading Limited, said “We look forward to rolling-out the nutrition pilot program, in partnership with Charter Hall and Healthy Heads, at our Crestmead distribution centre.  We will also share the key learnings from the program and the nutrition webinar across our sites nationally to maximise the program’s impact in improving warehouse workers wellbeing.”