Sitemed supports rail project staff

On-site health and emergency response company Sitemed has been contracted by Downer EDI to manage the health and medical needs of the workforce working on a major rail project in the Northern Territory.

As part of the contract, Sitemed mobilised staff and services to create an on-site medical centre and mobile response service to support workers, including securing a Northern Territory drug licence to possess and administer emergency drugs.

The Downer team of 25 workers is carrying out railway construction and repairs several hundred kilometres from Tennant Creek.

Sitemed general manager Nicole Nott said the company had been able to establish a fully functional on-site facility from scratch with only a short lead time, as was often required by clients.

“Working in these remote locations, a major consideration is the environmental factors such as risk of heat stress and heat stroke with high temperatures and physically demanding work, snake bite and general medical risks such as cardiac arrest.

“Downer is to be applauded for its proactivity in assessing the risks of working in remote locations and engaging a company like ours to protect its workforce.”

Downer executive general manager of Rail Infrastructure Paul Kyte said: “Knowing that Sitemed was on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing our people with quality medical care and emergency response gave us peace of mind.”

Sitemed was recently named national winner of the HTC Start-Up Award category in the 2012 Telstra Australian Business Awards.