Frasers Property Industrial’s new partnership with the Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation will help tackle issues related to mental health and wellbeing in the broader road transport, warehousing and logistics industries.

Frasers Property Industrial is excited to partner with not-for-profit charitable Foundation Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) to tackle the mental health and wellbeing issues faced by many workers within the road transport and logistics industries.

It has been well documented that workers across these industries are vulnerable to a number of mental health risk factors such as long hours, shift work, social isolation and pressure to meet delivery schedules and the need for continual alertness while operating heavy machinery. These factors all contribute to making drivers and warehouse workers extremely vulnerable to mental health challenges and issues related to poor physical health.

Our partnership of the vital HHTS Foundation will help support workers within the sector and create impactful and long-lasting change across the industry nationwide. A new not-for-profit charitable Foundation with a voluntary and independent board, HHTS was established to create and deliver Australia’s first single national mental health strategy and framework for the entire road transport, warehousing and logistics industries. Its core objective is to improve the mental health of each and every worker, while also supporting and enabling healthier choices around diet, exercise and individual wellbeing.

As a key partner, we will join HHTS on its mission to improve the significant mental health issues faced by many within these industries. “The partnership with HHTS was a natural fit for Frasers Property Industrial,” CEO Reini Otter notes, “with our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our staff and customers of paramount importance. Each year we directly and indirectly employ thousands of people working in the industrial industry, including those in the transport, warehousing and logistics supply chain. It’s essential we’re actively involved in supporting the wellbeing of these employees and facilitating a healthy work environment.”

The mental health statistics across the industry are sobering. Nearly 50% of workers within the sector will experience a mental health condition, with 38.2% reporting that their workplace had directly caused it or made it worse. After heart attack and heart disease, suicide is the leading cause of death in the industry, while drivers experiencing depression are over seven times more likely to have been in a crash.

Indeed, in SuperFriend’s 2020 Thriving Workplace Survey, the transport, postal and warehousing industry had the lowest index score (62.1) out of the 19 industries measured. The survey also showed that the total proportion of workers who have experienced a mental health condition has increased by 8.9 percentage points to 59.5% over the past 12 months.

Encouragingly, it’s been shown that companies who invest in progressive mental health initiatives will receive positive returns such as improved productivity, reduced sick leave and overall healthier and longer-serving employees.

“By sharing ideas and resources with the HHTS Foundation, we plan to continue to address mental health issues faced within the sector,” said Reini. In doing so, this important partnership with HHTS will help create ongoing and tangible change across Australia’s crucial road transport, logistics and supply chain industries.

Naomi Frauenfelder said “HHTS look forward to a close working relationship with Frasers Property Industrial. With their support we can work towards improving physiological safety across the entire sector, building healthier and more thriving working environments”.