Bernie Inman, a former energy company engineering employee who became a quadriplegic following an on-the job accident in 1994, warned that workplace accidents with grave consequences can arise from seemingly simple circumstances. Sheila, his wife of one year at the time of the accident, told of the impact “preventable accidents” can have on the victim’s loved ones. “Every one of you is a VIP and there’s someone at home waiting for you,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. “The decisions you make affect everyone around you – the ripple effect of injury is huge.”
Their combined message, in Bernie’s words: “Be aware of seemingly innocent non-hazardous situations – it could happen to you! The day he was injured, Bernie observed, “Was a regular day. There were no red flags, there were no warnings.” What there was, he explained, was a lack of safety consciousness when he stopped to inspect a natural gas production facility east of Dawson Creek, B.C.
At about 3 p.m. on Jan. 24, 1994, after leaving his hard hat in the truck, he somehow slipped or tripped inside the building, striking his head. Disorientated, he came into contact with a methanol injection pump, bumping open a valve and letting methanol onto the floor and his clothing. He wasn’t found until about 3:30 a.m. the next day. As a result, he received second and third-degree chemical burns to more than 70 per cent of his body. No one expected him to live. “You don’t have to go through something bad to be safe,” he told the Labour School participants. “This is not something you want to put your family through!”
THE LESSON THAT WE MUST LEARN FROM THIS PERSON’S EXPERIENCE
Whatever we do today, we must remember that the simplest and most harmless of situations can be tragic if we take things for granted and do not follow basic safety procedures. The reality is time is always enough for an accident to occur.