Respect your body
Posted by duane in Impacts of an Injury, Safety, Toolbox Talk on April 29, 2012
Have you ever sacrificed your body for the sake of something else? Putting yourself in harm’s way so something else doesn’t get broken. This seems to be quite common place in sports, but I think it extends beyond just the arenas.
Recently I was helping a friend move and we were doing our best to keep the furniture from getting banged up. He said, “Don’t let the furniture hit the wall, but don’t worry about banging your fingers, they grow back”. I assured him that I haven’t found that to be the case and after he apologized profusely the shelving unit made it into the condo. I didn’t take it as a slight; in fact, we had quite a few laughs at my friend’s expense because his embarrassment was quite obvious.
One of my site visitors (Tom Quick) commented that at a trade show recently and he observed a number of workers who knowingly sacrifice their body because their health coverage is good and they aren’t concerned since the pain and discomfort are short term. This reasoning seems very odd, but once again I am able to draw on an example from my past.
This story takes place in Northern Saskatchewan in the Churchill River System. I had the privilege of taking an eager group of Grade 10’s to Northern Saskatchewan five times during my tenure as the Industrial Arts Teacher in Balcarres. We had a four hour paddle east of Missinipe to get to a gorgeous location known as Robertson Falls. The main part of the falls are quite beautiful and had about a 20 foot drop over about 50 feet. I had always been intrigued by white water since taking a trip in my 20’s to Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park, Ontario.
Although I’d never known anyone to jump into Robertson Falls the one year we were there it looked too enticing not to try. I spent time carefully surveying the situation before I jumped in, but with so much water my potential journey really was an unknown. With my lifejacket on I decided to jump in above the falls and the water began to carry me. Slowly the current took over and there came a point I knew there was no turning back. The first part of the falls saw two parts of the lake above coming together to form a major shoot of water down the center of the falls. Since there seemed to be so much water this was the part of the falls that I positioned myself to take. A gnawing voice inside me stated that the water wasn’t shooting out because of the clash of the water, but because of the rocks underneath, the problem was I was fully committed.
I was moving faster and faster as I came to the precipice of the falls. Then in one swoop I felt like I was completely vacuumed up and I descended the first part of the falls … what a complete rush! The power of the water moved me like I was so irrelevant and insignificant. It was so smooth and seemed like my worries were completely unfounded. Making it to the bottom of the first section I found the shoot of water started to pull me under … holding my breath and attempting to reach the surface panic started to set in. Thousands of gallons rushed all around me pulling me further down the falls and seemingly further under water. Kicking and pulling upwards it seemed the water had no intention of bringing me to the surface. This was taking place over seconds, but it seemed time had slowed right down so I could get a true sense of the gravity of my decision.
Suddenly the current spit me to the surface and in great relief and elation I consumed as much air as I could in order to continue my journey. I began to enjoy my adventure once again as I bobbed further down the falls which were now really more like rapids. There was another turn up ahead and I needed to keep my focus in case things got that intense again. I couldn’t help but think this fun was here all the time just waiting to be explored, what a rush! I’d never even considered this journey in years past because the water level was never as high as it was now.
There were two more sections of the falls that presented a bit of excitement, but nothing compared to the original drop and the sheer adrenaline rush of the speeding current. I exited the water with a new appreciation of its immense power and a realization that, although it was fun, I didn’t want to do it again.
Later that day some of my students wanted to try some white water canoeing through another area of Robertson that appeared to be passable. I was with them, but I just didn’t trust the look of the rapids. The water appeared too fast, but I also wasn’t sure about the depth of the water. As they goaded me on I said we just can’t since we needed to have the canoes for our return home and from what I could see it didn’t appear there was enough water. With a stroke of genius I thought I could try jumping in the water and if it seemed alright then we could send a canoe down.
I know I’ve already shared a lot of things that I’ve done, but I think this small decision may have been the most foolish in my entire life. The decision to jump in the falls earlier in the day had been completely exhilarating and likely clouded my original judgement that there was not enough water. I decided I could test the safety of the water for the canoe so I jumped in. The water whisked me away, but this time it was more like a pinball than a vacuum. The rapids were very fast and threw me from side to side. I felt like I was in a fight, but not really a fair fight this was going to be a beating. The water took me and slammed me into a rock using my left arm as a cushion for the rest of my body. The next slam was my tailbone being pounded on the rocks beneath me. There was no part of this decision that was good, this was a trip of terror. My lower body went numb, was I going to walk out of this? I was getting near the end of the rapid to a place where things were really shallow, but I knew I could get out of the current then the rapid took its final assault and threw me into a rock hitting my shin and my right calf. I can’t remember ever getting hit so hard. It felt like someone took a baseball bat to my shin. I was sure my leg was broken and I had no idea if my tailbone had survived.
I lay on a rock at the bottom of the rapids and I could hear my students shouting out to me as they inquired about my state of damage. I lay there and yelled “Don’t do it!” “Stay where you are!” They replied, “Are you okay Mr. J?” I really didn’t know as the pain seemed to be focused on my tailbone and my leg. I looked down and twisted my scraped up arm to see if it was broken, it was sore, but not broken. Then I felt behind me and my shorts were ripped wide open. I looked and felt for blood, but it appeared I wasn’t cut open, even though I felt shredded. Next I tried to stand and although my leg hurt like crazy I was able to move it and put weight on it.
Nothing was broken, but I felt surrounded by pain and that nagging voice saying “What have you done?” My students followed alongside the river and came to where I was, then we proceeded back to camp. My body was showing serious signs of wear and we were unable to keep my moment of glory much of a secret. As the trip wore on my body healed up and not surprisingly this is a story I have only repeated a handful of times. When I look back now I can see how this repressed memory would be considered a “Near Miss”. There were many negative repercussions I was spared from enduring when my actions clearly warranted them.
I recently read of someone suffering of severe back pain for years because they fell on their tailbone. Perhaps there are things you have done that you feel “I got away with one”. I know I certainly felt that way, but repeated dangerous activities will eventually catch up to you. Have you created some unsafe work habits? Are you taking dangerous shortcuts just to save time or effort? Are you sacrificing part of your body for your work? Are you more daring than you should be? Step back and re-evaluate before a “Near Miss” turns into “HURT”. Respect is the R for my HURT acronym … Respect for Self, Tools, Process, & Environment.
Young Workers
Posted by duane in Culture, Safety, Toolbox Talk on March 23, 2012
STOP Cutting Corners!
Think back to your first months on a new job. Did your desire to please your boss or to show your competence exceed your ability? Were you adequately trained to take on the tasks that you were required to do? Often young workers feel pressure to perform in roles that are unfamiliar and as a result of that unfamiliarity their safety is in jeopardy.
It seems like safety speakers are often pointing out the flaws of others, but without a doubt I have fallen into the high expectation/low expertise trap myself … as I look back to my first days as an Industrial Arts and Computer Science teacher. I had just earned my Bachelor of Education at the University of Regina with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. I felt that my training had prepared me well for life as a teacher, but had no clue my first opportunity would be as a Computer Science and Industrial Arts teacher at Balcarres School. I was young and confident that I could teach Industrial Arts even though I had never used most of the tools in the shop. I’m sure the confidence and enthusiasm helped the School Board determine I was the right person for the job. I interviewed in November of 1992, but didn’t finish my University classes until late December.
I landed the job and in the midst of finishing finals and moving I spent many hours with my Father-in-law in his workshop. I knew I couldn’t run from the tools, but some of them literally scared me and there’s nothing students will chew up and spit out quicker than a rookie teacher that’s unsure of himself. I read every owner’s manual that I could find and spent countless hours in the shop familiarizing myself with the tools.
Once the semester started I had numerous phone calls and conversations with my Father-in-law, trying desperately to gain experience. What made matters even more challenging was the apparent lack of constraints on the type of projects my students selected at the start of the year. Everything was big … everyone was making some sort of table or shelving unit and everything was only half completed.
At this point I felt safety was key, I really didn’t want anyone to get hurt on my watch. I reverted back to classroom instruction to ensure student safety which also gave me time to hone my skills (or at least to find some competency). I taught my students and myself that the tools are just doing what they were designed for and safe use was paramount. I recall telling my students that tools are unforgiving and don’t care if they are cutting through wood or bone.
Experience is a very good teacher, but not always the friendliest.
I should’ve asked for training. I should’ve confessed to my Principal or Director that I didn’t feel safe using the router and table saw. I should’ve, but like most young workers I remained silent. Over time I did hone my skills and from what I recall there was only one student injury (cut from a carving tool) while I worked as the Industrial Arts teacher. When I left Balcarres after five and a half years of teaching I remember saying to my wife that “I still have all my fingers”. Little did I know that ten years down the road complacency would set in and I would suffer such a nasty injury from a table saw kickback.
If you’re a young worker, please don’t add to the statistics which find young workers have a 48 percent higher risk of injury than the overall working population. If you’re unsure of your safety with a task or tool that you are using be honest, ask for direction or simply refuse to do that work until you’ve been properly trained. Always remember, you have the right to refuse work if you feel it is unsafe.
If you’re a supervisor, ask yourself if have you provided the proper instruction and training to ensure that your workers are safe? Sometimes safety may be viewed as unproductive time, but consider the possible impact on productivity and the wellness of your workers if someone gets injured simply because they weren’t aware of a hazard. Safety is everyone’s responsibility … please work together and STOP Cutting Corners!
Check out this short video from one of my presentations encouraging Young Workers to STOP Cutting Corners.
More resources for Young Workers from WorkSafeBC
Time to Spring Forward?
Posted by duane in Culture, Safety, Toolbox Talk on March 9, 2012
STOP Cutting Corners!
This story is part 2 of my Daylight Savings Time Series … Spring Forward; Fall Back
Saskatchewan is a province that doesn’t observe Daylight Savings Time and our safety statistics indicate we often don’t observe safety hazards. In the past I have stated that “Being safe isn’t about living with a complete lack of risk, but being aware of the risks that exist and managing them to a level you’re comfortable with.” So, what happens if you have a greater ‘risk appetite’ than you should? There is a lot of innovation in Saskatchewan along with confidence and a resourceful attitude that says “I can do that on my own, I won’t be defeated by this little obstacle”. Without a doubt, growing up in a small farming community helped shape this “resourceful, never say die” attitude within me.
A couple months ago my garage door spring broke. Even though I had no clue what needed to be done to fix the problem this didn’t seem like too big of an issue to me. After a brief discussion with a co-worker and a freshly heightened sense of safety I decided that I would call “The Overhead Door” company of Regina and get them to fix my door. It was about $150 bucks and was fixed the next day. Prior to my injury I’m almost certain this would be a task I would take on possibly with a little help from YouTube.
A couple weeks passed and I was talking with my neighbour who told me he was thinking about me because he had a friend who was recovering from a serious hand injury (I get that a lot). His friend had a garage door spring that broke and he attempted to fix it on his own. While he was working on the spring it let loose then suddenly the wrench whipped around and hit his hand. Feeling the immediate pain he grabbed his damaged hand and went into the house where he asked his son for a band-aid. His son said “Dad your thumb is gone!”
It happens that quickly. There’s no time to readjust or get your hand out of the way. I recall immediately after my injury the wood from the tablesaw kickback hit my hand and I thought “I want a do-over”, but it was too late the damage was done. Looking down, my hand was in pieces and it only took a split second. The solution isn’t in the split second it’s in the hours, minutes, and seconds that precede an injury.
There was a popular video game in the early 90’s called Lemmings, where these poor little creatures met their untimely demise if you didn’t select the right tool and do what was required to help them out. The free-hand cross cut I made on my table saw could’ve been made with a hand saw and a chisel in less than four minutes … not much of an investment to prevent such a serious hand injury. Let me ask, what steps of prevention are you missing? Are you using the right tool for the job? Are you aware of the hazards?
In a previous blog I asked “How would missing a hand impact your tasks at work”. I shared that a friend of mine who is a dentist said “he couldn’t afford to do his own renovations in the event a serious injury could occur”. In retrospect I couldn’t afford to be careless or use the improper tool either. I may not have staff dependent on me for their livelihood, but I have a family that depends on me … simply put it wasn’t worth the risk of doing something I knew was dangerous for the amount of time it “saved” me. For more details check out my How Serious is a Hand Injury blog or this Garage Door Safety site, but be warned both these sites have images with graphic hand injuries.
It is not my intention to fear monger, but it makes sense to approach each task with safety as a focal point. One of the common causes of injuries is “Unknown or Unaddressed Hazards”. Take responsibility for your safety and familiarize yourself with potential hazards especially when a task isn’t familiar to you. Similarly, don’t ignore a hazard that has potential impact on your safety. If your problem happens to be your garage door spring, do yourself a favour and call on the professionals.
This Sunday other provinces and states will spring their clocks and watches forward an hour, but perhaps we can all pause time for just a moment to consider … our health and safety.
Injury Aftermath
Posted by duane in Impacts of an Injury on March 1, 2012
Injury Aftermath is a brand new presentation that I have developed with an in-depth exploration of the emotional impact of an injury. The physical impacts are usually felt immediately, but often emotional trauma lives long beyond the physical wounds. Injury Aftermath dares to explore and expose the emotional journey embarked upon when a serious injury occurs.
My journey began on November 22, 2008. It seemed like another Saturday of renovating where I spent far too much time with far too little progress completely unaware my life was about to take a dramatic turn. It was the end of a long day when an effort to save time resulted in the unsafe use of a tool and placed me on the receiving end of a table saw kickback. The results were devastating! My right hand was crushed; my pointer and ring fingers were amputated and my middle finger and thumb were barely hanging on. Thankfully, a surgical team was able to reattach my thumb and middle finger and through hope, perseverance, rehabilitation and healing I have regained much of the functionality of a hand I once took for granted.
The Doctor described my thumb as being shattered and in many respects I felt that was true for my life as well. As time passed perspective grew and I began to realize my injury, though very painful, was minor compared to the suffering many people endure. Since I used to be an Industrial Arts teacher I felt compelled to find a way to share my experience with others which was accomplished through a safety message I developed entitled “STOP Cutting Corners”. I found that sharing the story of my injury was a way to warn others not to be complacent regarding safety, but it also lessened the emotional pain I was suffering.
Realizing that the emotional fallout often outweighs physical limitations I developed a second presentation entitled “Injury Aftermath” which refers more to the emotional journey and the impact an injury can have on your well-being, your job and on your family. I uncover the range of emotions that needs to be worked through when dealing with a serious injury including: Frustration, Anger, Pain, Victimization, Loss, Fragility and Entrapment. I don’t stop there; I also equip the audience with the tools I used to overcome these negative feelings including: Forgiveness, Perspective, Perseverance, Hope, Blessing, Encouragement, Love, Acceptance, Adaptation and Healing.
Injury Aftermath isn’t intended to make attendees feel my pain, but to have empathy and understanding for injury survivors. My hope is that people, who may be held captive by emotional trauma, can use my presentation as a guide to overcome the adversities and obstacles they are facing.
Injury Aftermath Presentation Summary – pdf file
Defensive Safety
Posted by duane in Impacts of an Injury, Safety on February 10, 2012
STOP Cutting Corners!
There are times when the prevention of an injury may lie in someone else’s hands. Protecting yourself from these types of injuries is similar to defensive driving in that you always have to pay attention for other situations around you. This was common practice for me as a motorcyclist and then as a cyclist knowing that I was more succeptable to danger than the people in any of the vehicles that surrounded me.
To illustrate defensive safety I want to tell you about my daughter, Kylie, and her skiing injury when she was seven years old. We were out at Panorama enjoying a great day of skiing in -27 degree Celsius (-17 degrees Fahrenheit). Yeah, that’s cold. Temperature like that chills you right to the bone. As we came down from our ski run we decided to go into the Chalet to scrape off the frost and thaw out a little. I knew my wife, Nathalie, had some hot chocolate waiting. I was with both of the kids when we stopped at the ski rack and began taking off our skis. Suddenly, Kylie’s pain filled scream pierced the air! She was right behind me, what happened? I turned around to see a Japanese man in his mid-thirties picking himself up off my daughter.
Kylie was screaming as loud as she could “He broke my leg, he broke my leg!”
I implored him, “What did you do?” which was simply followed by a look of confusion.
Apparently he was vacationing from Japan and could not speak any English.
It occurred to me later that screaming sounds very similar in a multitude of languages.
After working through our language barrier I determined that he was snowboarding and ended up going out of control and wiped out on top of Kylie as she had her leg extended to take her ski off. I decided that Kylie was my main concern and I took her skis off as carefully as I could. Breaking a cardinal rule of injury treatment, I asked her if she could walk on her leg. She put a little pressure on it and winced in pain. Realizing I had just committed a gigantic error, I carried her to the Chalet. At this point I’d never seen a broken leg and really didn’t know how serious her injury was, but she kept saying how much it hurt and that her leg was broken. As we got inside the Chalet I saw Nathalie and said “I think Kylie’s leg might be broken”. I came up to a table and simply pushed everything off the table as I gently set Kylie down. I proceeded to take her boot off as gently as I could. All the while she was enduring significant pain. Once I got her boots off I removed her sock and could instantly see a large bulge on her leg. I told Nathalie to get a medic and realized Kylie was probably right … her leg was broken. I then asked the obvious question “Why do you think your leg is broken?” She said “Because I heard it snap at the same time I felt it break!”
The medic came and took over my role, confirming that her leg was broken. In some ways we felt we were fortunate that it happened on the last day of our ski trip, in fact we already had the van loaded. I carried Kylie into the van then we all took off down to the hospital in Invermere, British Columbia where they confirmed she had what they call a “Boot fracture”. Both the tibia and fibula were broken, in fact, they snapped in half over the top of her ski boot as the snowboarder landed on top of her. We were relieved it was not a compound or spiral fracture. Her x-ray depicts her injury quite clearly (feel free to zoom in). The injury was a harsh ending to a great trip … followed by a long painful twelve hour drive home.
Was this injury preventable? Was there anything Kylie could’ve done? Well, it is now our practice to remove our skis on the other side of the ski rack away from any impending danger. The injury was preventable, but the biggest prevention would be for the snowboarder to ensure he is in control which is the first rule in the Alpine Responsibility Code. If you’re downhill skiing this winter please familiarize yourself with the Alpine Code to ensure your safety and the safety of others.
Invisible Pedestrians
Posted by duane in Culture, Safety, Toolbox Talk on February 1, 2012
STOP Cutting Corners!
I’m guilty of it and, I’m guessing, so are a lot of you … I’m not proud of it but sometimes I go to work wearing a black or dark coloured jacket. Once in a while I’ll even wear a dark jacket with dark pants. The title of this story should help you figure out why this is a concern. If you’re crossing a street in the early morning or in the late afternoon you need to know that you’re nearly invisible to traffic.
I’ve noticed this problem for quite some time, but it appears to be getting worse instead of better. There were a couple of incidents these last couple weeks so I wanted to bring some attention to it. A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle at Victoria Park in the middle of the afternoon. I pass this way daily and each day I’m constantly on the look-out for pedestrians. Some of my focus is likely the fallout from my earlier pedestrian experience, but when you drive a vehicle you take on a lot of responsibility. In Canada one of these responsibilities is the safety of pedestrians.
One of the concerns I see is dark coloured clothes, but when it’s mixed with a pedestrian who has a “right-of-way” type attitude it’s a little disconcerting. Some pedestrians get to the corner and aren’t even breaking stride as they continue into the intersection. I have even seen people begin to cross without looking to see that it’s safe. We’ve had a lot of near freezing temperatures this winter and in slippery conditions vehicles are unable to stop quickly. Looking both ways before you cross the street is one of the first safety habits many of us have made. It seems so simple, but forgetting to do it can put you into a whole pile of hurt.
There’s a great awareness of distracted drivers and the hazards that are created when we aren’t paying attention while driving, but distracted pedestrians are also a cause for concern. Similar to the unbroken stride of some pedestrians I have seen pedestrians walk right into traffic while looking at their smart phones. There was a situation where a pedestrian went to cross the street even though vehicles were moving through the intersection and another pedestrian, deep into his smart phone, started to cross without realizing it was unsafe to do so.
Another very common infraction is the jay walk or even the half-way cross. The intersection of Victoria Avenue and Hamilton is certainly not the busiest in the world and hourly you would be able to observe four or five pedestrians crossing the street when it is unsafe to do so. These pedestrians will walk half way across the street then stand by the median while vehicles travel both directions beside them. If they lost their balance they would fall into traffic on one side of the street or the other. Since most pedestrians get caught at the median until the lights turn red, it appears this “Frogger” crossing tactic is employed to save less than the 10 seconds it takes to cross half the street. Clearly this is an unwarranted risk.
Pedestrians vs vehicles is never a fair fight so I would suggest the pedestrians always have a little more skin in the game. I don’t think we should be like some societies where the vehicles always have the right of way, but you’re certainly safer as a pedestrian if you take that approach.
Are you taking unwarranted risks? Are you paying attention to the task on hand and its related hazards? Are you dressed appropriately for the conditions? Are you looking out for the safety of those around you? Are you practicing the safety habits that you should?
Thrill Seekers
Posted by duane in Culture, Impacts of an Injury, Toolbox Talk on January 25, 2012
STOP Cutting Corners!
One of my earlier blogs spoke of how fear can be completely debilitating. I was using an experience I had back in 2001 to demonstrate this point. More specifically, I was in Zimbabwe Africa at Victoria Falls. There were a couple of activities I engaged in that I likely wouldn’t have been at liberty to enjoy if my wife had come along on the trip. At this point in my life I was intrigued by Bungee Jumping, but even more excited about the opportunity to try out the Batoka Gorge Swing since it was featured on Season 1 of The Amazing Race.
It seemed every activity I was interested in was worth $100 US at the time and there were only so many of those bills to go around so Bungee Jumping would have to wait. I recall looking at the Zimbabwe Bungee Jump and marvelling at how extremely far of a plunge it was. My interest likely lasted longer than 30 minutes watching jumper after jumper face their fears. What is the fear in Bungee jumping? I suppose the obvious fear is the cord will break and that you will fall to your demise. Does this ever really happen? Surely there must be some sort of safety precautions in place to ensure it doesn’t happen? One has to remember that your safety should be your concern. This principle of responsibility is likely why sky divers pack their own chutes.
Two weeks ago a Bungee jumper in Zimbabwe made that familiar brave jump, but the jump ended in horror. Erin Langworthy survived, but her story and video were captured by the BBC. Certainly this made me question the safety of the other activities that took place while I was in Zimbabwe.
We don’t have to go overseas to find inherently dangerous activities designed to satisfy thrill seekers. As I watch the X-games or even just competitive sport one has to wonder just how far things should be pushed for the sake of sport or entertainment. As a kid I remember idolizing the Crazy Canucks and watching in horror as Steve Podborski and Dave Irwin wiped out at top speed during downhill races. Would they survive? Would they move again? Would they recover? Recently we were asking the same questions about freestyle skier Sarah Burke unfortunately she didn’t recover.
There are varying degrees of hazards, some more widely accepted than others. How much of a thrill are you seeking? Are you are putting your safety in jeopardy? To analyze a summertime sport one could argue that wake boarding is significantly more dangerous than laying on the beach sun tanning. Someone else could argue that staying in the house is much safer than being on the beach. We can’t live under a rock and there are some risks we all commonly take. I think the best alternative is to be aware of what the hazards are and make a conscious decision to take smart risks. During the short-sightedness of our youth the thrill often seems to take precedence over the risk. Keep in mind when you take a risk you need to be prepared to accept the potential fallout. Take time to assess hazards that may impact you. Is your risk tolerance higher than it should be?
Anger & Frustration
Posted by duane in Impacts of an Injury, Limit Crushers, Safety, Toolbox Talk on January 10, 2012
Two of the emotions you are bound to encounter when dealing with loss or the fallout from an injury are anger and frustration.
STOP Cutting Corners!
My daughter came in the house visibly upset,
“I’m so mad, I can’t believe what I just did!”
My wife and I came running as my daughter continued,
“I’m so stupid! … Argh!!”
“Tell us what happened?”, we implored.
She began to cry, “Why did this have to happen to me?” My daughter seethed without indicating what great transgression had taken place. Finally she stated, “I dropped my ipod and the screen shattered!”
Although her ipod was less than 2 weeks old I was somewhat relieved it wasn’t something more serious, I feared for her safety.
Thinking back to my injury I recall coming into the house after my son placed a tourniquet around my wrist. My hand was a mess, but my mind and my mouth were at the exact same stage my daughter in the previous story.
“How could I have been so stupid?”
“I knew it was dangerous, why did I do it?”
“What was I thinking?”
“Why did this happen?”
Likely you have had the opportunity to say some of these statements in succession. It’s all part of a bad story we tell ourselves when we do something that we know we shouldn’t have done. Something … Preventable. Recognizing it was preventable doesn’t mean it magically goes away it just means that we aren’t helpless to the circumstances that caused the problem. It means we can put precautions in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. There are still consequences, my daughter’s ipod screen was still shattered and so was my hand.
After my injury I remember being impatient and telling my wife that we couldn’t wait for the Ambulance we just have to get to the hospital. The “First Responders” to my injury was Regina Fire & Protective Services and they arrived on the scene within minutes. I recall hearing the siren, then seeing the flashing lights, then seeing the fire truck parked on the street. As they came up the walk I was still continuing my negative stories in my head, thinking of what all my neighbours must be thinking. When the firefighters came to the door I was sitting slumped against the wall in the entryway to avoid passing out.
The fireman said “So who’s got the injury here?”
I kind of raised my hands and said, “That would be this idiot here”.
He said, “How are you feeling sir?”
My reply was almost boisterous, “Really stupid!”
I began to bang my head on the wall behind me. “I just want to bash my head right through this wall”.
His calming reply, “That wouldn’t be a good idea sir, that would just give us another injury to tend to. Really sir, how are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.” Then he offered me an oxygen mask and it felt like I breathed for the first time.
The anger and frustration didn’t disappear immediately, but the fireman’s response brought my head back to a positive space. Anger and Frustration are natural emotions after we have endured a loss. They are part of the grieving process and it’s alright to have the feelings we just can’t dwell on them. It is important to be honest with yourself, but talking out these feelings by calling yourself down is more destructive than beneficial.
We need to keep our actions in check rather than letting them run free expressing our anger or frustration. Fortunately, I was surrounded by loving family and friends who helped me work through some of these issues. Have you experienced a loss? Are you in a low spot right now? Are you acting out your anger or frustration? Be open and honest with yourself, take responsibility over what you can change and enlist some family and friends to help you work through some of these negative emotions. Over time one of the things I realized was that I needed to forgive myself for what happened so the emotional healing could begin.
People who blame others for their failures never overcome them … you must continually improve yourself, and you can’t do that if you don’t take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes. – John C Maxwell
I’m not meaning to say that you can’t be angry, but try to use that anger in a positive way and investigate the cause of the incident. Some people may have told you “Don’t worry about it, accidents happen”, don’t fall for that trap. There was likely something that could’ve been done to prevent it. Take time to analyze what caused the incident and ensure you do something to prevent it from happening again to you or someone else and resolve to STOP Cutting Corners!
Gratitude
Posted by duane in Impacts of an Injury on December 20, 2011
STOP Cutting Corners!
Part of my STOP Cutting Corners presentation is the revealing of an emotional journey that comes about when dealing with a serious injury. Although the journey started with Disbelief, Anger and Frustration, the final destination I leave audiences with is “Gratitude”. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share with as many people as I do. I am grateful for the time that each person has given to hear my story. I am grateful you are taking time to read this blog. I am grateful to be able to enrich the lives of others by sharing a message with a positive impact.
Immediately after my injury things looked pretty grim and the odds of getting my thumb back were pretty small. I am grateful for the surgical team that attempted to put my hand back together and the nurse’s words when I “came to” after 6 hours of surgery … she said “it was a miracle the way all of the tiny little pieces of bone fit together”. Even though my hand isn’t 100%, I am grateful for the functionality I have.
I am grateful for such a wonderful province and country and the opportunity for Healthcare that was provided. I am grateful for the Hand clinic and the hours of rehabilitation at the Wascana Rehab I was able to access. I am grateful for the care and love of my family, friends and co-workers.
I took time to give blood the other day … I revel in the fact my blood type is B Positive, because I enjoy being positive. There have been many studies attempting to link the role of a positive attitude to recovery from an injury and illness. The results appear to read in both directions, but personally I feel a positive attitude and gratefulness are attributes that reach far beyond what our minds comprehend.
At this time of year please take time to express your gratitude toward others. I would encourage everyone to show gratitude for your health and safety by finding a way to give to others less fortunate during this Christmas season.
I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Duane
A Step Away From Disaster!
Posted by duane in Safety, Toolbox Talk on December 4, 2011
STOP Cutting Corners!
I have tweeted a number of times related to vehicle safety, but the harsh reality is that driving a vehicle is likely the most dangerous activity that most people engage in. The term “cutting corners” originated during the horse and buggy days when cutting a corner was quite dangerous. A similar danger would still exist when towing a trailer or something of that nature. I want to share with you how a simple little distraction can cause you to lose sight of how important it is to use all your attention while you drive.
To start this story off, it was 1985 and I was a student at the Saskatchewan Technical Institute (STI which is now known as SIAST Palliser Campus). Money was pretty tight for me, in fact it was the first time I was really spending my money because throughout my teen years I was always in accumulation mode. Do you remember the days of 18 – 20% interest rates? Well, paying just to have a place to stay and the cost of school seemed to be a ridiculous use of the money I had worked so hard to earn. In order to save money I made a habit of not driving the car … besides the car wasn’t even mine, it was Dad’s; a 1977 Plymouth Arrow. I haven’t heard the term much lately, but it would definitely be described as a “beater”. I think Dad got a hundred bucks when he sold it, and that may have been generous.
STI was in Moose Jaw which is 200 km West of Lemberg (kinda humorous giving directions based on Lemberg’s location). After a few frugal outings I found that if I kept my speed at 90 km/hr and didn’t drive for the two weeks I was in Moose Jaw I would usually have enough gas to get all the way back to Lemberg without putting a drop of fuel in the tank. One time I cut it a little close and Mom ran out of gas Saturday morning when she took the Arrow downtown Lemberg for groceries (which is only a couple blocks from the house). All of this to say, I was tight and watched every penny I spent because I simply wasn’t used to spending money. Wasting money was even more detestable and I came unglued when I got a ticket for parking in the STI parking lot. The stinger was that I had a parking sticker, but it was still in the glovebox. Surely they wouldn’t expect me to pay the ticket just because I didn’t put it on the car; I’m a poor student. It seemed like such a tragedy. I went and complained to the friendly folks at STI, but they said I needed to take my grievance downtown.
So downtown I flew with a grimace on my face and a scowl in my eyes. I was less patient and more irritable than folks in Moose Jaw had likely seen me … all over a parking ticket. Did you ever notice when you’re impatient the driver in front of you seems to have all the time in the world? Well this guy stops right at an intersection … there was no yield and no one was coming, why didn’t he just turn left? What a Yahoo! Well, he wasn’t going to slow me down, I was 18 years old and I had an axe to grind … I pulled next to the sidewalk to pass him on his passenger side. As I got to the intersection a young boy, likely about 9 years old stepped off the sidewalk onto the street right beside the passenger door of the Arrow. Now I realized the car had simply stopped at the intersection to let the boy cross the street. I didn’t hit him, but I saw him and he was only one step away from a very serious injury or even death. My heart nearly exploded! How could I have done something so dangerous?
I don’t know who the boy was and likely he doesn’t even remember the incident, but that day I was humbled and broken, thinking of how it could’ve been his last day and how it would have unquestioningly been my fault. His life would be over and mine would be changed forever. Actually it did change me forever and as I recall this simple foolish decision I am so very thankful that it never cost a life to learn a very powerful lesson.
At one of my recent safety presentations I challenged the audience to think of one time when a little decision had a big impact. My little decision was not being willing to wait but to keep rushing without considering or observing all the facts. Although the impact could’ve been much more devastating it served to create an extra awareness of all the activity that is going on while driving and how important it is to really pay attention. Are there times you drive without paying attention? Are you focusing on the task at hand or preoccupied with other concerns? Are you texting or using your cell phone while driving? Not only is it illegal (in most provinces), but driving is a busy enough task without adding the extra distractions. I encourage you to stay in the moment and pay attention anytime you’re hurling 2,000 pounds down the road and please … STOP Cutting Corners!
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