Jill Liu is an HSE Advisor at Hitachi Rail. In three years, she has witnessed how the smallest of changes can influence people - how when they feel valued and taken care of, something remarkable happens: a healthier and happier workplace.

Here Jill talks about her work at Hitachi Rail, her greatest accomplishment to date and how her biggest passion is safety...

Introducing Be Well

I had an interesting start at Hitachi Rail, I first began in the role in June 2020 during COVID. Amidst the mayhem of temperature checks, social distancing and working from home arrangements, I was there to help ensure ‘business as usual’ and was able to roll out a standout health and well-being initiative in Australia.

The Be Well programme was designed to provide all employees with a healthy and happy workplace no matter where they were working or what they were working on. The goal is for every person to feel supported so they can be the best version of themselves. While I admit that I was a little sceptical of the power of such an initiative at first, I have now seen first-hand the results of a culture where people feel ‘taken care of’ and valued. The programme is well-advanced in Australia now, it’s my proudest achievement to date and is assisting with its implementation across the wider Asia Pacific region.

An Award-Winning Job

My background is in occupational health and safety, and I have previously worked in construction, local government and the public and private sectors. Sadly, my passion for safety originated from a family member losing their life in a workplace incident when I was young.

I combine this deep commitment with my previous experience to my role at Hitachi Rail, where my day-to-day functions vary from site assessments, inductions, and liaising with contractors on safety matters. I also manage health and wellbeing and injury prevention. My team and I were recently recognised when Hitachi Rail was awarded the NSCA National Safety Award of Excellence 2023 for Best Leadership Programme.

Every day, I am the go-to person for people who need to navigate health and safety issues. I consider it a priority to make everyone feel welcome, become fully informed and feel equipped to face whatever scenario presents itself.

Working for a Global Company

My role at Hitachi Rail has given me the opportunity to work for a global company that shares my passion for health, well-being and safety.

Moreover, I am proud that this company is committed to making rail transport more seamless and sustainable while seeking to make the world a better place for the next generation.

I am also inspired to do more together and make work life and the world better places for everyone. So I feel really aligned with the business values!