Miyo Takinami

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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
The Mental and Physical Health Care of
Employees Ensures the Safety of Railway
Transportation
The Current Situation of the Health Care System
and the Roles of Medical Facilities under the
Direct Management of JR East
Miyo Takinami Chief of Negotiation
Section East Japan Railway Workers Union (JREU)
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
The general description of JR East
Akita
Morioka
Yamagata
Nigata
Sendai
Total length 7526.8km 1,702 stations Passengers a
day about 16 million 65.380 workers are
employed
Fukushima
Nagano
Takasaki
Omiya
Tokyo
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
Description of the current health care systems at
JR East.
Morioka
Akita
SENDAISendai Hospital Health Control
Center
TOKYO Tokyo General Hospital
Nigata
Sendai
Nagano
Mito
Takasaki
Chiba
MORIOKA?AKITA?NIGATA?NAGANO?TAKASAKI?MITO?CHIBARa
ilway Health Check Centers
Tokyo
TOKYO Health Promotion Center
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
Main service of health care system
Tokyo General Hospital Sendai Hospital
They are essentially general hospitals, and are
designated as emergency medical centers and treat
not only employees but local residents as well.
Health Promotion Center(TOKYO) Railway Health
Check Centers (MORIOKA?AKITA?NIGATA?NAGANO?TAKASAK
I?MITO?CHIBA)
They are focus on preventive medicine such as
special health examinations and complete medical
checkups.
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
Health Control and the Medical Care System for
Employees
More than 60.000 JR East employees Working in
the six areas (1) Transport (2) Commercial
Operations (3) Facility Management (4) Planning
(5) Management (6) Medical Care
The working system (1) day shift (2) night
shift (3) rotating shift system
Regular annual physical checkup Yearly medical
examination specified SAS (sleep apnea syndrome),
examinations Specific health examination Complete
medical checkup etc
If something is found to be amiss, the company
recommends a consultation with a doctor, further
tests, or treatment.
The companys Safety Principle Safety Is the
Most Important Mission for Transport Operations
People First Philosophy based on the
fundamental standpoint of both the management and
the union.
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
Mental Care
Violence by passengers
Under pressure from boss
Stable operations
Injury accident
Fear of accident
Suicide, Long medical leaves, Mental troubles in
on-duty
Counseling Room
Treats problems concerning work, household
worries or mental issues.
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
The usage of the Counseling Rooms
?The number of cases of counseling
Consistently risen year by year
Total number
in the Tokyo metropolitan area
Year
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
The usage of the Counseling Rooms
?The contents of the counseling
Mental distress
Worries at the workplace
Personal problems
Drinking problems
Others
?The number of cases of counseling
requested
Year
by fellow workers
by employees
Medical Care
By families
Others
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Year
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
Our efforts to tackle PTSD
PTSD
People can be greatly traumatized by witnessing
inescapable, grotesque events. Its divided into
Acute Stress Disorder and Delayed Stress
Disorder
The case of PTSD
a driver was involved in an Injury accident .
Observing the drivers behavior, the manager
began to suspect that the driver was suffering
from acute stress disorder. He advised the driver
to go see a doctor.
Treatment was initiated, with close contact
maintained between the driver, the manager, and
the staff of the Health Promotion Center. The
driver recovered after five months of treatment,
and continues to work diligently.
Union members who are involved in medical care
have a definite awareness that they should treat
patients quickly
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International Railway Safety Conference 2007
The role of directly-managed medical facilities
What can we do as workers at directly-managed
medical facilities? Discussing our role with all
the railway-loving participants here will help us
establish a core feature for ensuring railway
safety.
I hope more union members will come to the
health classes organized in order to promote
awareness of preventive medicine and of the
importance of smoking cessation.
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