Being prepared can save a life, especially on the land
Tickets are still available for the Mackay Work Well Breakfast Forum on 2 November, where a keynote presentation about safety on remote properties could make your business better prepared for a serious injury – and help save a life.
Queensland’s newest Safety Advocate Robyn Neilson will speak to delegates about the need to work safely and to be prepared for emergencies, particularly if your business is in a remote and isolated part of the state.
Robyn, a trained nurse, was a first responder to her neighbour who had been seriously injured by a post-hole digger on a remote cattle property. Robyn gave life-saving care to keep her neighbour alive until the Royal Flying Doctor Service arrived. After the incident, Robyn was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Now Robyn visits Queensland businesses as a safety advocate to promote the importance of preparing for the worst by having emergency plans and first aid equipment in place. She also talks about why its critical workplaces use well-designed, guarded, and properly maintained equipment.
Robyn shares how exposure to traumatic workplace incidents can psychologically affect workers, first responders, and their families, and the importance of accessing resources if you need support.
As Robyn has been telling breakfast forum delegates around the state: “If my story saves one person's life, it's worth the trauma of me sharing it.
“Preparedness - why bother? What stops us is that nothing’s ever happened to them before or they're fearful or they think it's not their responsibility.
“It's not exciting to prepare for the worst, but after an accident people are highly motivated to act and be prepared. Everyone needs a reason to change. Everyone can save a life if you're prepared.
“Being prepared must be part of what we do every day, so it becomes second nature. Just ask yourself ‘What if’ before you go to do something, and then ‘what if’, and ‘what if’.”
If you can’t make the Mackay forum, why not organise your own toolbox safety talk or morning tea and livestream one of our free Safe Work Month events. And don’t forget there are free resources on the WorkSafe website to use at your workplace.
Register for the Mackay Work Well Breakfast Forum (only $66 including plated breakfast) or check out the Work Well 365 Speaker Series.
Further information
Robyn Neilson and our other safety advocates can also come to your workplace to share their stories, encouraging workers to make safety a priority, and to highlight the personal impacts that an incident could have on them and their families.