A few years ago, I was part of a construction project of a seventy-million dollar manufacturing plant. The site was busy, and with the building’s structure completed, the conduit was being installed and wires were being run.
Scissor lifts puttered across the floors as dozens of tradesman worked in sync to meet their deadlines.
The project was well run — managed by one of the largest construction firms in Canada, safety was a top priority. There was not a single worker without a hard hat and steel toe boots. It was the kind of site safety inspectors salivate over.
No one felt alone; surrounded by fellow contractors, conversation flowed and the mood was good. The electricians on site were a large group. They worked together operating several scissor lifts that zipped up and down as they mounted conduit to the new ceiling. There was no reason for any of them to feel isolated.
One of the young electricians onsite raised his scissor lift to the ceiling and began working away. His colleagues were working within earshot and within sight of him, but no one noticed anything wrong until a coworker looked up.
The young electrician had inadvertently pinned himself between the lift and a beam above him.
However it happened (which is still not clear), he had not crushed his body, but had applied just enough pressure to prevent himself from breathing. As his colleagues lowered the lift and began CPR, it was clear too much time had passed.
His body was blue, and though applying CPR was enough to restore his vital signs, his brain had been without oxygen for too long. After several days on life support, the machines were turned off and he was allowed to pass.
Becoming a lone worker in a matter of seconds
I remember realising how sad the tragedy really was a few days later when I saw his coworkers wandering the site, trying to raise money to help the man’s family pay for his funeral.
In a matter of seconds, one can go from being part of a crowded team to completely alone. By moving a few meters, and without even leaving the room, you can become a lone worker.
Whatever mistakes lead to him being pinned and unable to breathe, his tragic death could have been prevented if only someone had been alerted the second he became trapped.
For years, firefighters have used PASS, personal alert safety systems.
Although firefighters are highly trained, it is clear no level of training can protect them from every danger. Luckily, there are simple technologies that can alert others around them when they are in trouble.
Every year, hundreds die in workplace accidents, often times because they are alone.
Whatever mistake lead to the young man finding himself pinned, his ultimate fate was caused by his isolation from help.
At some point, each and every one of us will classify as a lone worker. Though safety training has come a long way, we can now use technology to protect workers where preventative measures fail.
What a sad story about such a needless waste of a young life. Not sure whether that happened in the UK or US, but I know both nations have government and industry bodies that oversee safety for workers. There are also unions that are often involved. The death toll must be so much higher in less developed nations where oversight is less stringent. Think of miners, for example, who still die at a fairly high rate. Or commercial fishermen, who are virtually uninsurable for life insurance, I believe. Are these personal safety devices mandatory, at least in some industries and/or… Read more »
There are some lone worker smartphone apps that I know of. Whether they’d have helped here, who knows. Sounds like a complete one off but it certainly illustrates the problem. Think this happened in Canada, but I’ll let Colin answer that, obviously. Ultimately, it should be the contractor’s duty to pay for any lone worker safety devices as they need to be connected to a system that someone (ie. the employer) can pick up. Completely speaking in a hypothetical situation but if it was found in a court of law that a worker asked for a lone worker safety device… Read more »
As a retired firefighter – The biggest nightmare was teams working inside a smoke filled building and becoming lost, as a team or being seperated from that team – Systems existed to prevent this and as I retired units where introduced that if you remained still for a period of time the unit started a series of soft bleeps – you then had time to wiggle and deactivate the full alarm. If you couldn’t move it went to full alarm and on a full battery would sound for a couple of hours. But in the situation above would there be… Read more »
This lone worker phenomenon is prevalent everywhere. Whether you are working a crowd or all alone in the confines of four walls. The point is very pertinent that simple technologies could be used to raise alarm and prevent the disasterous situations. Rob has very rightly suggested that ‘smartphones’ usage for alerting others is one of the possible solutions. There are so many deaths across the world which are caused due to workplace accidents. Its not easy and practically possible all to the times to rescue the trapped ones but raise and alarm and alerting others to come forward for help… Read more »
Hi everyone, to answer a couple of the questions below. This did happen in Canada and it’s not exactly clear how he became pinned but, there were no faults found in the case of the lift rental company. So, the lift was operating properly and none of the safety features were bypassed. The most likely cause was either driving, or raising the lift, without watching where he was going.
There are also several apps on the market for everyday people to use when they are working alone but, of course, they’re not very popular.
Thanks for clarification Colin. I think there is need to make such device in the reach of a common man which could help lone workers for their benefit . Their popularity would help saving lives .
While I appreciate the tragedy of this situation and the need to mandate safety wherever and whenever possible, I am reminded of the adage “You can’t protect people from themselves”. The fact is, there are many tragic situations that can be prevented but for complacency and laziness, and I’m as guilty as anyone else. How many times have I gone up on a lift without the safety chain attached? Been on construction sites in sneakers rather than steel toed shoes? Worked on circuits that had live mains power nearby because I was too lazy to hit the breaker? An app… Read more »
Most companies that have sales people have no inclination of a lone worker policy! We go out on the road and there is no way of ensuring you are safe & well as they only wait to hear form you a week later or when you don’t turn up for the office!
I do love running with scissors…
Totally agree, Robert, humans always seek the easiest way to do things, and sometimes, sadly, safety gets in the way. So we ignore it. We’ve all done something a bit silly once upon a time. Your comment puts me in the world of the Batman films. Why do we fall down Master Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up…
Really, is that usual? I know our offices require people to call in, but I don’t know how often. Also, in Japan at least and I’m sure elsewhere, many sales people have camera systems in their cars. But this is probably for insurance purposes and checking sales people really were on the road. It could probably be a system adapted to assist in monitoring for safety.
One thing making them, another getting them to use them. I think, as other commenters have said, this won’t happen unless people are forced to use them. Of course then, should workers choose to ignore the regulations and not use them, then it’s their own fault and the employer is covered.
Well I can leave my office on a Monday evening and although my diary will have a list of customers I am visiting on my Outlook, if I have no contact with the office they will not call or request I call them to see if I am ok. We have no lone worker policy in our handbook and have never had any talks or suggestions made. The problem with the UK is that companies would use such systems to spy on their staff rather than ensure they are safe! We have no way of ensuring staff have made it… Read more »
Hm. I suppose it will take a trial that tests that lack of contact to change anything. Always needs to be a major precedent to spark organisations into policy.