The Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (OSSGA) invited Curtis Weber, a motivational speaker, to share his workplace accident survival story at the 2017 Operations, Health & Safety Seminar in Toronto.
Weber described the tragic 1999 day – his third day on the job as a construction laborer at a new company – and how it nearly took his life. He described how his crew attempted to transport a grain bin under a power line with a picker truck. Despite assessing the risk the power line posed, the crew continued working until a crane operator backed directly into the power line.
Weber, who was 17 at the time, instantly became a ground point for electricity, which surged through his body three separate times. The accident cost Weber an arm and a leg, and 60 percent of his body was affected with third- and fourth-degree burns.
“For me, the real tragedy was that it was preventable on so many different levels,” Weber says. “It was preventable from the organization not having processes [in place], but even more so with me not speaking my mind and voicing that concern.”
Although Weber was only on his third day on the job for this particular company, he had plenty of experience on such jobs because he had been working in his particular industry all his life, he says. He recognized the power line hazard on this particular day, yet, as he reflects 18 years later, he did not speak up and state his concern.
“We need to look at ourselves,” Weber says. “I had every opportunity to put my hand up and say this is not the good way to be doing this task.”
Don’t necessarily assume others have your best interest in mind, he adds.
Events earlier that tragic day, a Friday, also played a role in Weber’s accident, he says. Weber’s work crew started the day with the understanding that they’d be completing two routine jobs before breezing into the weekend. But when the workday’s first job took longer than everyone expected, the crew’s attitude changed. Now, everyone simply wanted to complete the second job as quickly as possible so they could all enjoy a full weekend.
“When we got to the second jobsite, we were now likely going to be home after supper – probably after dark,” Weber says. “And, if things didn’t go right with that job, we realized we might have to come back on Saturday to finish it.”
The crew’s positive vibe morphed into frustrations. And those frustrations contributed to the accident, Weber says.
“Let’s just get the job done,” says Weber, describing the attitude that emerged among the crew.
Want more on safety?
This month’s ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas offers a number of educational opportunities to enhance the safety of your operations. Learn more about the sessions available at www.conexpoconagg.com. Also, be sure to check out our ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017 coverage here.