An innovative app developed by Murphy Pipe and Civil (MPC) to gauge the mental health and wellbeing of its 900 fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, has been recognised by the industry at this year’s Queensland Mining Contractors Awards.
MPC was announced the winner of the `Staff Engagement Category’ at the Awards, which were held in Mackay, as part of the Queensland Mining Expo.
Award judges were impressed with the app’s ability to survey the company’s entire FIFO workforce each swing to ascertain overall wellbeing, and enabling the company to take affirmative action or provide counselling help to workers if needed.
The easy-to-use app, called Mate Check, takes two minutes to complete during flights in and out of project sites, and through the simple click of a button, workers can confidentially access counselling assistance from recognised organisations – such as Mates in Construction, Beyond Blue and Lifeline.
MPC’s Social Performance Manager Glenn Pfluger, said the company’s Mate Check app had been in use since 2015 and had been overwhelmingly welcomed by the company’s workforce.
“Our crews have totally embraced this new app technology and through it have given us valuable mental health feedback and also thousands of suggestions on ways the company can improve worker wellbeing on site, in camp and even at home,” Mr Pfluger said.
“I thank the QMCA for the award and the industry for its recognition, but I think the real thanks must go to our crews who for the past two years have actively, and at times very honestly opened up when using the Mate Check mental health survey each swing.
“It’s thanks to this honest feedback about their own mental health, that we are now getting a much clearer picture of how they are feeling, but most importantly, being able to implement strategies to improve their wellbeing.”