My Safety Story

by Jason Losier

"It was an autumn Friday, just like any other. Nothing made this day any different from any others, except that it was the day before Halloween, which was on a Saturday that year. Friday, October 30th 1998 will be a day that I will never forget.

My work as a labourer consisted, among other things, to insure that the equipment maintenance was done as well as to ensure that the production employees had all the wool necessary to accomplish their work. Around 8:30 p.m., with a little more than half my work shift done, my life would change forever.

It was the supper break for the production people and I used that time to clean the wool mill, when, all of a sudden, a simple hitching sent me directly in the mill, which was still on. I was stuck, unable to get out. After a few minutes, one of my colleagues heard my screams, but it still took almost one hour to get me out. The ambulance immediately brought me to the Caraquet hospital. I then found myself in emergency surgery, for more than 12 hours at the Bathurst hospital. Once the surgery done, I found out that I would lose my arm and a part of my left foot.

Sixty-four (64) days passed before I could even leave the hospital, and that was only the beginning. During the first year, I returned to surgery eight (8) times, followed by three (3) years of intensive rehabilitation. Six and a half (6 ½ ) years passed before I could return to work, with the help of an artificial arm, but it is far from what it was before the accident. This event was an ordeal in my life. I realized I had to overcome it and keep going, towards my dreams.

Work accidents can change your life, in one short moment. It is very important to know the risks and to pay attention to the dangers."