When Allen was injured and sent home for a lengthy period of recuperation and rehabilitation, he was not the only one who suffered. His crew at the construction site was missing a top craftsman. His project team was affected because Allen's crew was one of the company's best; not only could they execute the work proficiently, but they had an outstanding record for quality and, until now, for safety as well. The corporate team was affected and the home office had to answer calls from customers, the public, the media and the competition. Each had a different "take" on what had happened. Although the competition was genuinely concerned, the accident was used as a competitive edge. And then there was the anguish his family had to endure.
How it happened and those at home
Allen was injured when he slid from the top of a sphere to about 20 feet below. His body struck the railing and platform as he fell. The whole sphere was about 60 feet tall and was visible from the main road near the tank farm. The crane used in the rescue effort was moved from the far side of the unit. The fire department rescue squad had to extricate him from the 40-foot high landing. It took most of a day for them to carefully bundle him in a basket and get him down. Onlookers gathered to watch the high-angle rescue and ordeal. Many friends and neighbors worked at the plant, and others soon learned of the tragedy. Stories of the accident were expanded and exaggerated over time. Allen's family was distraught.
Allen was the bread-winner for his wife and their three children. Although he received workers' compensation, it was far less than his normal pay -- with no overtime. Things changed dramatically for the family as Allen faced the long and arduous task of recovery.
The crew, the gap and the snap
Allen was the leader of his crew when the foreman was not around. All were trained to be 100-percent tied off at all times when on elevated structures. Unfortunately, the fall protection devices were not the newest, and there were no double lanyards, no retractables, no engineered lifelines and no cable grabs to attach to. All they had was a single lanyard attached to their harnesses. The project manager had promised newer devices, but they had not been ordered or delivered. Too bad for Allen, as this was too little too late for him, because there was substantial anchorage to tie off on at the top of the sphere, but Allen had to change his position. With only a single snap-hook on one lanyard, there is a moment when protection is nonexistent while the hook is unsnapped and re-snapped to different anchorage. And that's when it happened; it was one tiny moment in time and a giant gap in safety that changed many lives.
The domino effect
Allen was the best of the best, and his crew never did get back to normal. No adequate replacement was found. The foreman was fired. The job was stopped for a standdown. When new fall prevention equipment finally came, required training ensued. The schedule was missed. Costs went up. A workers' compensation claim was filed. The company did not get the next project and profits were lost. The company's image was impaired, and workers were laid off. The future of a once successful company was bleak -- all this because of safety or the lack thereof.
The future
What do you do when you've relied on field leaders to get the work done safely and they put production ahead of safety? Customers don't always understand; they just want the project done without incidents. Even after the bills are paid, the workers recover and time heals the memory, a company has to endure the rising insurance premiums, the image of the newspaper reports, the negative eyewitness reports and an embarrassed customer.
If you've never looked in the face of tragedy, it's no fun. You never forget the serious injuries, the impaired worker and the outlook on the future for companies. But, more importantly, you never forget the impact on a family that must cope with the tragic repercussions from a preventable incident.
For more information, contact HASC by visiting www.hasc.com.