How South Australia Police (SAPOL) Is Using InBody To Manage Officers’ Health & Wellbeing
Senior Sergeant Paul Kameniar is the Project Manager for South Australia Police’s Health and Wellbeing program, where the program is designed to support employees in managing health, safety, performance, and wellbeing.
The South Australia Police’s Health and Wellbeing program takes a holistic approach to employee health and has developed a sophisticated network of internal officers receiving professional training as personal trainers, credentials in nutrition and a range of mental health support qualifications. Officers within this network are receiving training as Body Scan Operators for the InBody 570 to scan other officers during SAPOL’s annual Health and Wellbeing training days.
A program designed to better officer performance through reconditioning and prevention of injury.
One of the programs run by South Australia Police is a Reconditioning Program. The program enables SAPOL employees to consult with appropriate allied health professionals and gain financial support in the treatment of any physical issues they may be experiencing. These issues are not necessarily work related and fall outside of Work Cover.
A common example for someone joining the program is to lose weight and begin functional training where the officer will connect with a dietician and exercise physiologist to assist with their weight loss / body composition goals.
Officers are encouraged to have a body scan to ensure that any weight lost is fat and not muscle deterioration. Operational Police are required to carry up to 9kgs of equipment on their body, so maintaining good muscle composition and functional movement is essential in preventing injury.
InBody data to identify nutritional and performance issues.
Within a 12-month period since South Australia Police’s procurement of their first InBody 570, over 800 employees have been scanned in the workforce. The InBody has become a popular management tool, with many officers requesting follow up scans.
The opportunity to have an InBody body scan is completely voluntary and is confidential. The Police force does not maintain individual records, however, the data captured has helped to identify common patterns of interest within certain cohorts.
How did InBody become the right fit for the program?
The InBody 570 unit is portable which means it transports easily on road and for visits to regional areas. The Program was in search of a reliable, accurate, and comprehensive assessment tool, where employees can be educated and manage their progress.
Each body scan at the Police Headquarters, involves a 15-20 minute consultation. This enables the program officers to better engage with employees when having discussions regarding maintenance or improvement of their health and wellbeing.
Since the implementation of the InBody device, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of employees trying to improve their physical condition through the Reconditioning Program.
Due to popular demand and its success within the program, an additional InBody unit has been acquired. The Program will now have an InBody unit installed in Police Headquarters and another at the Police Academy.
Disclaimer: The program’s use of certain result parameters is strictly private and confidential. Results do not go on any employee medical records. InBody scans are used solely for the purpose of educating individual employees and linking employees to the appropriate allied health professional if needed.