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Wow, can your life change in an instant. On March 30, 2013, I was in the process of cutting back a tree. The tree had approximately 20 limbs to be pruned. I had already done approximately 18 of them. I thought I was taking adequate precautions. I had placed a ladder up against the tree trunk, away from the branches I was cutting. When I cut the next to last branch, the weight shifted in the tree, causing the ladder to fall and with it, I fell, about 15 feet. I suffered a severely broken left wrist, and a fracture of my pelvis. And I was lucky and thank God my injuries were not worse. The pain has been pretty intense and the healing has taken a long time.

The reason I tell this story is not to gain sympathy, or for people to question my sanity in cutting back the tree; I tell this for one reason … in an instant a worker’s life can change forever. Sometimes we can lose focus on the impact we can have on others. We do not simply sell a product in the marketplace – we have a direct impact on an injured worker and his or her family. Many of the injuries we deal with are horrific in nature and take many years to heal.

We all provide a very important service to our communities by providing safety training that can help prevent accidents. We also provide assurance to the marketplace that if an accident does occur we will be around to help the injured worker and provide a source of income for his or her family. These are important, especially in times of injury.

As we enter the summer season, many will be taking to the roads, working on the garden and pursuing other projects; please remember to be safe. An extra couple minutes of planning and taking the time for adequate preparation can mean the difference between a safe adventure and a mishap. Looking at the bigger picture, state funds and Canadian boards are leaders in promoting workplace safety across North America. We are truly an army of safety professionals and we can help educate others about the real importance of staying safe.