PPG ensures that its people are cared for in all aspects relating to welfare, health and safety by providing a safe working environment (OHS Act 1993) and various programmes.

We have a confidential voluntary HIV testing programme (“Know Your Status” campaign) and enjoyed an initial uptake of 65% in Cape Town, 100% in Durban and 75% in Johannesburg.

Treatment is either via co-subsidise anti-retroviral treatment or a partnership programme with regional Chamber of Commerce and hospitals where they provide free medication and lifestyle counselling and family support.

We continue to promote awareness and offer support in the following ways:

• The Informer distributed monthly
• Trained peer counsellors and storytellers on all sites to deal with AIDS issues
• We provide free condoms
• Awareness posters on site
• Annual World Aids Day awareness campaign
• Confidential voluntary HIV testing programme on site

We promote drug awareness and offer support in the following ways:

• An onsite-counseling group specifically for employees who test positive
• Poster campaigns
• Workshops and education on drug abuse
• Periodic amnesties to encourage employees to seek help voluntarily
• A sound referral system and relationship with community organizations

We also have a partnership with the labour unions that allows for random testing of all employees to ensure that no one is at risk of harming themselves while on site due to drug usuage.

With running a three shift a day, seven-day week operation, we recognize that employees may need on site assistance for a range of possible illnesses as well as advice on ailments. All our large sites have on-site occupational Health practitioners, servicing approximately 70% of our people.  Our on-site clinics provide the following services:

• General health risk assessment and monitoring (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, flu vaccinations)
• Monitoring of general ailments related to working in a manufacturing environment e.g. back ache
• Stress management
• Planning and co-ordination of our HIV/AIDS programme
• Testing:  fitness, cholesterol, glucose and HIV
• Management and monitoring of certain chronic conditions
• Chemical dependency (alcohol and drugs counselling and testing)
• One on one counselling