IN THIS ISSUE
SEPTEMBER 2012 EDITION
> Recognition of Excellence Award – December 2011 > EPSA’s Community Support Program > EPSA Celebrates 20 Years > Health & Wellbeing > Spotlight on Social Status
Matt Hetherington + Band, EPSA Melbourne's 20th Anniversary Gala Event Celebration >
Recognition of Excellence Award – December 2011 The nominees for the December 2011 Recognition of Excellence Award are to be congratulated for being recognised by their peers under the Operational Excellence and Safety and Environment categories: Grace Heggan Receptionist / Administrator Head Office Hallam Mark Rooney Electrician Engines Melbourne John Taylor Team Leader GMEC GMEC Perth John Ryall Regional Operations Manager Engines Sydney Brian Harrex Applications Engineer Electrical Engines Perth Robert Eamer Sales Representative Engines Perth Mal Edwards Regional Sales Manager Rental Sales Phil Brushett Branch Manager Rental Darwin Michael Mohr Workshop Leading Hand / Electrician Engines Sydney Sumudu Alwis Electrical Engineer Engines Hallam Marcel Heijkoop National Sales Manager Engines Sales Adrian Van’t Wout Service Technician Rental Brisbane
Our first inaugural Recognition of Excellence Award for December 2011 was award on Thursday 17th May to a very worthy recipient - John Taylor, Regional Sales Manager WA. John was an integral part of the GMEC for just over two years and prior to its sale earlier this year, took on the role of Team Leader, ensuring stability and continuous support to the team. It is evident John puts all his effort into whatever task is at hand. He is a team player who was supported by excellent colleagues within the GMEC group. With the sale of the GMEC business, John’s calm and positive nature helped to steady the group and ensured a smooth transition from GMEC into the Western Regional Engines team.
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Some of the comments received about John: •
John has taken on the “leader” role in the GMEC team and with that came added responsibilities on top of his role. He has been able to remain focused, provide direction and leadership to the team whilst continuing to deliver on key projects and milestones.
• Staff members like John are critical to the success of the business and his dedication to the GMEC business during a time of uncertainty was outstanding. • John is very proactive and approachable, easy to work with and very adaptive to change. His positive influence has enabled GMEC to function effectively during difficult times. As part of the Recognition of Excellence Award, John received a framed certificate and a $1000 cash prize. A special mention must be made to the following people who were runners up and received a $100 gift certificate in recognition of their achievement:
Grace Heggan Receptionist / Administrator Mark Rooney Electrician John Ryall Regional Operations Manager
Head Office
Hallam
Engines
Hallam
Engines
Sydney
Presentation of the inaugural EPSA Recognition of Excellence Award to John Taylor L to R: EPSA Board Member Donald James and Chairman Dale Elphinstone; John Taylor, Phil Canning, EPSA Board Members Scott Cameron, Alistair Cavill and Chris Forde.
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EPSA’s Community Support Program EPSA proudly supports our community and encourages our people to actively participate in fundraising activities that benefit the community we live and operate in.
Brodie’s 100km walk for Oxfam From the 20th to the 22nd April, our Accounts Administrative Assistant, Brodie O’Hehir, participated with her friends in the Oxfam Trailwalker Event in Melbourne. The Oxfam Trailwalker is a team event, each team given 48 hours to complete a 100km walk through the suburbs and state parkland of Melbourne. From the start to the finish, it was go-go-go! Blisters, many changes of shoes and not giving up were the mottos over the weekend.
Andy’s Ride to Conquer Cancer On the 27th & 28th October 2012, our Financial Controller, Andy Limnios will tackle the biggest bike ride of his life –the Ride to Conquer Cancer. This event benefits the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and is a cycling journey throughout Victoria's scenic countryside. For Andy, it will be challenging in a number of ways (the fear of lycra), but with my bike, my helmet, and our fantastic generosity, a real impact will be made! Most of us during the course of our lives will be affected either directly or indirectly by this terrible disease so please help Andy make a difference and support this wonderful facility in its journey to finding a cure. Contribute to this history-making event with a donation to Andy’s ride. Funds raised in the Ride to Conquer Cancer will support Peter Mac, the only public hospital in Australia solely dedicated to cancer.
The Oxfam Trailwalker is all about teamwork – it’s a great way for friends to bond or for work colleagues to develop team spirit. The Oxfam Trailwalker is challenging, but you don’t need to be a marathon runner or a professional athlete to do it. The Oxfam Trailwalker took place at three locations in Australia – Melbourne (April), Brisbane (June) and Sydney (August). Since 1999, more than 45,000 people have participated in the event and have collectively raised more than $49 million. Brodie and her team “Voyage” collectively raised $4,350.00 to support Oxfam and made it to the end of the event. 100km walked in a time of 27 hours, 745 teams registered for the event with 402 finishing. This was a mammoth achievement Brodie, well done!
EPSA’s Community Support Program happily donated $500.00 towards Brodie’s fundraising event.
At the time of going to press, Andy has raised a fantastic $6,660.00 and currently sits at number 36 in the fundraising tally. This is a brilliant achievement, Andy. Now all you have to do is get on your bike, pedal your heart out and hope you don’t fall off! To find out more or to make a donation to Andy’s event, log onto: www.concquercancer.org.au – and search for Andy Limnios. EPSA’s Community Support Program has kindly donated $500 to support Andy’s cause.
Good Luck, Andy, with the big ride!
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Building Better Lives – MayDay Charity Auction Event Building Better Lives is the initiative of Di Winkler, the founder and CEO of the Summer Foundation, which was established in January 2006 with the specific purpose of conducting practical research and seeking alternate solutions to young people living in nursing homes. Led by the Summer Foundation, the Building Better Lives campaign has partnered with five community service organisations that have been appointed by the Department of Human Services to develop new accommodation services for young people in nursing homes. These organisations are working collaboratively to ensure that these new shared supported accommodation services are places of excellence in terms of physical design, fit-out and the use of technology to enable the residents to be as independent as possible. Haydn Vella, our CFO, proudly supports The MayDay fundraising event each year, with this years’ event being held on Friday 11th May at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. The theme of the day shifted from AFL to the Olympics and Olympic Champion Grant Hackett was a guest speaker, with Cathy Freeman present. EPSA proudly supported the event by purchasing a set number of tickets for employees to attend. Over $42,000.00 was raised for the Building Better Lives Foundation which is a fantastic achievement and EPSA was proud to support the event.
Cupcake Day for the RSPCA The RSPCA is a community based charity that works to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection. RSPCA Australia is a Federation of eight independent State and Territory RSPCA bodies called member Societies. RSPCA member Societies do much of the hands on work traditionally associated with the RSPCA such as the operation of shelters and the Inspectorate plus community education and fundraising. One of their annual fundraising events is Cupcake Day for the RSPCA, one that Megan Carmody, our Group HR & HSE Advisor proudly supports, along with her RSPCA rescue dog, Jack. This year, Megan baked cupcakes, dog treats and pupcakes and the staff at Hallam and Sunshine were lucky enough to make a donation to a good cause, and receive baked goods in return. At the time of going to press, approximately $1300 had been raised, with EPSA’s Community Support Program proudly donating $500 towards Megan’s fundraising event.
Well done, Megan!
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What's On Make the rest of 2012 a healthy year by taking part in or supporting a worthwhile activity.
Walk to Work Day – 28th September Why not use this day as your inspiration to grab your walking shoes and get moving? Building walking into your daily routine will improve your wellbeing and reduce your environmental impact. People who walk before and during work are generally healthier, more productive and creative. Regular exercise can help relieve feelings of depression or anxiety. It also improves our environment by reducing car dependency.
Visit www.walk.com.au/wtw for more information.
Girls Night In – 1st to 31st October This October, get the girls together for a night in and help support the Cancer Council. Register your Girls Night In and help raise money for women’s cancer research and support services. Whatever you and your girlfriends do to spend time with each other counts as a girls night in. Collect donations in honour of your friendship or a loved one who has lost their battle with cancer. Every dollar and every conversation counts.
Visit www.girlsnightin.com.au for more information.
Movember – 1st to 30th November Facial hair has never looked so good! Grow a mo in November or sponsor someone else’s to raise awareness about men’s health and the Movember Foundation. You can donate money to an individual, a team or to the Movember cause itself. All funds raised benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, beyondblue and the Movember Foundation.
Visit www.au.movember.com for more information, or better still, to register!
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EPSA Celebrates 20 Years 2012 is a landmark year for Energy Power Systems Australia as we celebrate our 20th year as the Cat® engine dealer for Australia, PNG and the Solomon Islands. To mark this special milestone, a range of celebrations were planned for each branch across Australia. In Melbourne, a gala event was staged on Friday 20th July at River's Edge Events on the banks of the Yarra River. It was a fantastic night, with brilliant stand-up comedy from Peter Rowsthorn as well as an electrifying musical performance from Matt Hetherington + Band. For our Perth employees, a special “cocktail” event was held at The George in the Perth CBD, where a “photo booth” was set up, allowing our Perth team to dress up and get “snap” happy. Check out the pictures from our Melbourne & Perth celebrations…. and if other branches would like to share their happy snaps from their anniversary celebrations in the next edition of HR EmPower, please forward these to megan.carmody@energypower.com.au
Happy 20th Anniversary EPSA!
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Getting to know… Catherine Maguire Catherine is a new face to EPSA, having joined us in March 2012 in the position of Marketing Manager, reporting to Stephen Lupi, General Manager – Engines (Sales & Marketing). Catherine has an extensive marketing background and has strong exposure in both Government and Private Sectors. Having enjoyed many successes in her career and worked at an international level in the marketing arena, Catherine feels right at home at EPSA and working with the Caterpillar brand. Catherine enjoys spending time with her family, her border collie Jodie and enjoys gardening, dancing, sunshine and hot weather.
60 seconds with Catherine: 1. What’s the smartest thing you’ve been told? The Dalai Lama has released a statement called The Paradox of Our Times. It’s very insightful and reflective. 2. What’s the one simple thing you’re really good at? Eating. I love my food. 3. A talent you wish you had? I wish I could play a musical instrument. 4. What smells take you back? I love sandalwood and lavender. 5. Most prized possession? Jodie, my border collie. 6. Favourite colour and why? I like puse – and why? Because it’s a shocking word! 7. Favourite holiday destination? Vanuatu, no seriously, Cape Patterson, on Victoria’s Gippsland coast.
Liddle Facts Go Green in 60 seconds Being planet friendly doesn’t have to be tiresome. Here are some simple things you can do in no time at all. 1. Print documents double sided and single spaced, this way you will use up to 75% less paper; 2. Always read emails on screen, rather than printing them out. If that’s not really possible, print only the section you need. 3. Put the stapler down, if everyone in Australia uses one less stapler a day, 88.3 tonnes of steel would be saved each year. 4. Scan it – where possible, scan your documents and distribute via email rather than photocopying.
Did you know? Australians use more that 3.5 million tonnes of paper every year. Less than half of this is collected for recycling. Annually, 18 million print toner cartridges and nearly nine out of every ten sheets of office paper are going directly to landfill. Only 11% of Australia's office paper is being recycled – yet, recycling one tonne of paper would save 17 trees, 31,000 litres of water and 4,100 kWh of electricity (http://www.livingthing.net.au)
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Habit #2: To be truly effective, begin with the end in mind.
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Health & Wellbeing For many of us, stress is a part of everyday life. So learning ways to manage or reduce it is important. But it isn’t just about finding ways to relax more. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Sarah Edelman, and author of Change Your Thinking, it’s about managing your time more effectively, problem solving and learning to say ‘no’ sometimes. It can also be about knowing what you can control and what you can’t.
Tips for managing and reducing stress Try to maintain a healthy balance of work and leisure. Ensure you have enough time to relax each day activities that are absorbing and engaging may also help you connect with other people.
Make time for regular exercise Besides helping you relax physically by easing muscle tension, regular exercise also boosts energy levels and improves stamina. This can act as a buffer against stress. "When your energy levels are low, your threshold for coping with stress may be lower too, but when you feel strong and energised, it may help you cope better with problems," Dr Edelman explains.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Be flexible with your thinking
Eating a healthy diet and getting sufficient sleep may make it easier to deal with stress. Watch your alcohol intake too. Alcohol may help you feel more relaxed at first, but long-term drinking to cope with stress can lead to a range of health and social problems. It’s also likely that overdoing alcohol may actually make you feel more stressed and has also been linked with depression.
While we need to look for solutions to problems that cause us stress, we also need to recognise that there are some things in our lives that we can’t control. Try to focus on the things you can control. Remember that being able to accept situations that are beyond your control is, paradoxically, a way of exercising control because you choose to let it go.
When problems arise ask ‘what can I do about this?’ Problems are an unavoidable part of life and a cause of stress. But taking steps to look for solutions can make you feel better by giving you a sense of control. Talking problems over with other people can often give you a fresh perspective and help you to solve them.
Learn to say no and plan ahead Try not to over-commit yourself, especially at times when you’re more likely to feel stressed and if you know there’s a stressful event or period coming up, try to find ways to take the pressure off.
Find a relaxation technique that works for you Everyone has different ways of relaxing - reading a book, listening to music or watching TV. But it’s also useful to have something extra - a technique that can put you into a deeper state of relaxation and reduce feelings of anxiety, especially if you’re anxiety prone. Deep relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation and meditation, can cause physical changes including slowing down breathing and heart rate and relaxing muscle tension - the opposite of the fight or flight response.
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Social Status – How does Social Media affect your health? Social media can be a wonderful tool, helping us to source information and communicate with friends around the world. But what happens when we use social networking sites to be, well, less social and physically active in real life? For many of us, social media has become part of our everyday lives. We tweet, blog, update and upload regularly – for work and personal reasons. Around 80% of the Australian population is online, ranking our nation as having one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world According to a 2012 Nielsen Online rating survey of 5,000 Australians aged 16 years and over, online social networking is a big reason why we log on: close to half of all online Australians participate in social media sites on an almost weekly basis, we spend around 22 hours on it every week and 69 percent of us log on several times a day. In today’s tech savvy world, it seems some of us may feel we don’t exist without being online.
Social Media Fast Facts •
The number of people joining networks like Facebook and Twitter doubled between 2008 and 2010 to 850 million, but the amount of male users plummeted 3 percent during that time period, according to the Pew Research Centre.
• 58% of social media users are women.
Time to step away? So what are the tell-tale signs that your use of social media may be getting out of hand? Experts suggest time out if you: feel a need to spend more and more time on social media; constantly think about or plan to use it; feel anxious, moody or restless if you can’t use it; try and fail to cut down on social media; or neglect other areas of your life in favour of using it. It’s not just your emotional status that can be affected by social media. If the time you spend posting and tweeting is largely on the computer, your physical health can be impacted too. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, almost 80 percent of us spend three or more hours sitting during our leisure time. Add to that the time we spend idle at work, meal times and to get around by car or public transport, and realisation dawns that we may spend most of our waking hours being inactive. And this has long-reaching effects on our health: long-range obesity, heart problems, depression and diabetes.
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• 154 is the number of “online” friends the average Australian has. • 14 is the number of “real life” friends the average Australian has. • 845,000,000 is the number of monthly active Facebook users as of December 2011. That’s a lot of status updates!
(Article excerpt courtesy of Bupa Health, Shine Magazine August 2012)
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Safety Snapshot EPSA OH&S Management System Review and Redesign We have commenced a review of our Health and Safety Management System, with a view to update our Safety Manual, Intranet, OH&S Policies and Guidelines so they are compliant with the current AS4801 Standard. We are aiming to achieve accredited certification to the AS4801 standard by December 2013. Stay tuned for further information in the February edition of HR EmPower.
EPSA Workplace Emergency Management Manuals EPSA is currently developing Workplace Emergency Management Manuals for each branch to help with the prompt evacuation of EPSA employees from the workplaces in the event of an emergency. The manuals have plenty of helpful policies and checklists which will assist each branch in the event of an emergency situation. Training in the use of the Workplace Emergency Management Manuals will be delivered in the coming months.
External Safety Compliance Audits All Branches have now had a safety compliance audit completed and the branch action plan sent out to the branch managers to rectify any safety non conformances which were highlighted by Ian Fraser from Environmental Essentials
Update on the Model Work Health Safety Regulations & Code of Practice Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Northern Territory have now commenced using the new WHS Act and Regulations as of January 1st 2012. Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania currently have bills before parliament and will look to transition in the coming months. Victoria is the only state that has declined transition to the new WHS Act, citing “disruption and cost to small business� as the reason behind their decision.
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Everyday tips to help avoid neck pain in your workplace… Learn to touch type:
Your phone:
Small up and down motions of the head from document to screen creates a repetitious stress on the muscles and joints of the neck. This can lead to neck, shoulder, upper limb pain and headaches.
Position the phone so that you can perform simple tasks such as taking notes without twisting or cradling the phone on your shoulder. This means that the cord must be long enough.
Computer Set Up: The top of the screen should be at eye level or just below so that you don’t look down at a slight angle to your work. Remember your eye muscles can become tired when you do a lot of close work. Remember to rest them every 10 minutes or so by looking away into the distance.
Font:
Laptop Computers: Laptops were designed for short term or mobile use; however, this portability means that people often use then at an unsuitable work height. When using a laptop, be aware of your posture and break up keying with other activities and where possible dock the laptop into a desktop computer at a suitable workstation.
Set the default screen font to a larger size so you are not squinting and stretching forward to read the document which places additional strain on the neck muscles.
Workstation ergonomics: ideal set-up
Your chair: Adjust the height of the chair so that your feet rest comfortably on the floor. Correctly adjusting your chair can help you maintain proper posture and take the pressure off your back. When sitting, your knees should be about level with your hips, and the seat of your chair should not press into the back of your knees.
Your keyboard: You should be able to have your forearms close to horizontal and your wrists straight when using the keyboard. This means that your hands should not be bent up, down or to either side in relation to your forearms. The keyboard should be aligned with the monitor and directly in front of you so that you don’t have to twist or rotate to use it.
Your mouse: The mouse should fit the size of your hand so that it is comfortable to work with. It’s also a good idea to position the mouse on the desk so that the weight of your arm is supported by the desk.
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Overall, change your position frequently to minimize fatigue. It’s a good idea to take short, frequent breaks in which you move around, and to mix up your tasks during the day. This encourages body movement and use of different muscle groups. Stretching your neck, shoulders, wrists, back and ankles is also recommended several times each working day.
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New Faces A warm welcome to the new faces at EPSA, and there have been quite a few of them since January 1, 2012. We hope you time with EPSA is most enjoyable
January 2012 Amanda Cutts Cathy Revolon Brian Cotterell Lorna Nou
Receptionist/Administrator
Rental - Townsville
Branch Administrator
Rental - Townsville
Sales Representative
Rental-
Office Assistant
Engines - PNG
Roma
February 2012 John Fitzpatrick Jon Blondel Joseph Rewald Danijel Andric Steve Riley Paul Purcell
Storeperson
Rental
Sunshine
Electrical Technician
Engines
Hallam
Mechanical Engineer (Trainee)
Engines Sydney
Mechanical Engineer (Trainee)
Engines
Sydney
Sales & Service Support Technician Engines Perth Service Technician
Rental
Brisbane
March 2012 Chris Banks Mechanical Engineer Engines Brisbane Catherine Maguire Marketing Manager Head Office - Hallam Arash Ejilali Mechanical Engineer Engines Brisbane Rachel Hitchman Branch Administrator Rental Adelaide Tony Raman Regional Sales Manager – Southern Rental Sales Sonia Rice Workshop Administrator Engines Brisbane Tim Peach Sales Engineer EPG-R Engines Perth Suthan Bala Project Manager Engines Hallam Alan Hagg Project Manager Engines Perth Michelle Taylor Receptionist / Administrator Engines Brisbane Michael Phillips Service Technician Rental - Rockhampton
April 2012 Haniel Wilson Vanessa Peach Mark Nattrass Brad Lund
Sales Representative
Rental
Sydney
Office Administrator
Engines
Perth
Project Manager / Estimator
Engines
Brisbane
Project Manager
Engines
Brisbane
May 2012 Bill Persky Project Manager Engines Brisbane Brett Marshall Product Coordinator / Storeperson Engines Perth Misty McCasker Administrative Officer Rental - Perth/Kalgoorlie Jim Chia Project Manager Engines Sydney Rachel Allwork Receptionist / Administrator Engines Perth Vikki Whale Branch Administrator (Maternity Leave) Rental Brisbane
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e m o c l e W
June 2012 Marcela Nello Administrative Support Coordinator Rental Adelaide Ronald Bugeja Sales Representative Rental Kalgoorlie Donna Conway Project Administrator – Wheatstone Rental Sales Belinda Stevenson Parts Coordinator Engines - Sydney (Sunshine) Gary Sikes Service Technician Rental - Rockhampton
July 2012 Andrew Holmes Amanda Rutter Lincoln Booker Tim Rogers
Projects Mechanical Installation Technician Engines Brisbane Sales Support Officer
Rental
Adelaide
Marine Sales Representative
Engines
Brisbane
Applications and Sales Trainer Rental
Adelaide
Commissioning Technician
Engines
Canberra
Project Supervisor
Engines
Canberra
Sales Representative
Rental
Karratha
Electrician
Engines Melbourne
August 2012 Ben Hogarth Adam Usher Darrell Wilkinson Richard Vom
Internal Movements Kleon Langdon Pierre Delport Michael Watson Mark Quinn Jessica Carthy Stuart Jay Ryan Stirling Sharyn Sullivan
Office Manager
Engines
Perth
Senior Applications Engineer
Engines
Perth
Workshop Manager
Engines
Perth
Branch Manager
Rental
Adelaide
Operations Administrator
Rental
Operations
Project Manager – Wheatstone Rental Sales Workshop Leading Hand
Engines
Brisbane
Office Manager
Engines
Brisbane
Like what you see or want to see something specific? Email your feedback to megan.carmody@energypower.com.au and/or any articles you wish to see included in the next edition of HR EmPower.
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