Greg Shoesmith was only 22 when he died at work, operating a logging skidder near Barriere, BC. His story is featured in a new book called: Forget Me Not – Canadian Stories of Workplace Tragedy from the Families’ Perspective.
Author Archives: Susan
What are workers to do when nature calls but there’s no where to go? The Brief Relief Urinal Bag is a solution for truckers, utility workers, military personnel, and others without toilet access. “Holding it in” can cause health problems and many other ad hoc toilet solutions are too unsanitary.
My friend Dave Dawson worked as a line cook at a busy Ottawa restaurant in the late 80s. He and his coworkers ran the kitchen with little to no supervision. One night a cook asked Dave to do something that seemed pretty sketchy.
The image kept replaying in his mind. My friend Reid accidentally chopped off his pinky finger with a table saw when he was cutting window trim at work. The flashbacks were really disturbing for a couple of weeks, particularly when he was going to sleep.
Once I went camping with some friends outside Bella Coola, in a beautiful spot, up a logging road – also known as a “resource road,” used by industry. The mountains, water, forest, and fresh air were amazing, but when a fully loaded logging truck thundered by, I got pretty worried.
Hey Beatles fans! It’s one of the most common reminders we’ve heard since childhood – and how we’re reminded it’s the best way to prevent the spread of disease: “Wash your hands!” Ontario’s Brant Community Healthcare System gives new life to this age-old message with this funny music video.
A construction employer once told me about an attitude he sees on worksites. “People really don’t pay attention to how dangerous the industry is,” he said. “I see it all the time. It’s a leftover cultural thing where, to some degree, there’s almost a pride in avoiding some of the basic safety standards that are out there.”
In the 1990s, my brother Bob worked in the Vancouver film industry as a production assistant. He told me about an experience that makes me angry to think about because it’s so dangerous. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt, but it’s still a good example of worst practices.
Recently I was invited to Ventana Construction’s Safety Day 2011 – a mini-conference that brought together more than 30 workers for courses, certification, and a lot of laughs.
On March 25, 1911, 148 people died at work – trapped by a fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. Those workers were trying to support families for a low wage from an employer who locked them in to prevent theft and left them to die. Let’s remember them.
