My dad was my hero. He worked hard to raise a house full of kids. He was a mentor to my siblings and me. He was a good neighbor within our community and he helped the helpless as much as he could. He was a welder-fabricator by trade and a role model for all of us. He told us you never gained anything without working honestly for it. For all of his wisdom, there was only one thing my dad believed I have found not to be true. He said, “If you’re going to work in construction, you just have to accept injury.”
Leading indicators
For years, I also accepted the fact at-risk workers were often injured. I went along with the crowd. But, now I know the crowd was wrong. Experience has taught me injury happens in construction because leading indicators aren’t used and injury is caused by at-risk behavior such as rushing, cutting corners, following poor supervision or performing ill-planned task activities.
Honor your father
In my day, parents were respected and children spoke only when spoken to. Having an unkempt room, sassing elders or destroying others’ property was not acceptable. Second warnings were seldom given. None of this counting to three before taking action as some parents do today. Children need parents for nurturing, caring, rewarding good behavior and mentoring. Oddly enough these are also the traits of a great supervisor as well. The best supervisor I ever had gave me just enough “rope” to get into trouble but not to fail. He provided me with caring correction when I did things wrong and recognition when I did things right. Without this mentoring, like a father in the workplace, I would not have enjoyed such a long and successful career. I honored my father and appreciated my mentor.
A tragic event
My dad was forced to retire at age 51 due to a medical condition after he saw a co-worker experience a tragic injury. At first, the doctors thought he suffered a heart attack, but we later learned the illness was caused by the trauma and stress of what he had witnessed. Dad never returned to work. My family learned a lesson from the tragedy; when a worker is injured or becomes ill at work, the whole family infrastructure suffers. I’ve seen many families suffer when the breadwinner is injured. I remember a father, who was also a Little League coach, sustained a serious injury and could no longer work or coach his young son. Thus, the whole family suffered. Thinking insurance and workers’ compensation makes up for all losses sustained by workers confuses many, but it simply is not true in most cases. Insurance is money and money alone cannot replace a lost lifestyle and relationships between grieving family members.
Craft skills don’t guarantee prevention
My dad was able to sustain a livelihood supporting his household using the good craft skills he had learned and developed. Then came that dreadful day when he saw his friend killed on the job; all the training and skill in the world could not hide the pain and mental suffering. My dad’s quote, which I believed at the time, now serves as impetus for me to continue telling fellow construction workers injury is not a systemic part of construction. Injury is caused by something and when that “something” is removed, injury is prevented. I’ve shared my dad’s story often during my career. In retrospect, I’ve relived that scenario hundreds of times and thinking of what may have saved that co-worker’s life. My dad’s friend touched a live electrical wire. In those days workers were told to touch a live wire with the back of the hand. This technique would then cause the hand to contract and repel itself away from the current-filled wire. My dad’s co-worker apparently failed to remember or use this technique and instead placed his open hand on the wire, and the rest is history.
Daddy was wrong
Without disrespecting the memory of my dad, I can say he was wrong in believing injury is inherent in any industry. Using leading indicators saves lives. “The fact that injury occurs does not mean injury must occur.”
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