A Simple Task

If there is one good thing to be said about the hazards all of us are regularly exposed to as we make a living, it is this: people are hard targets to hit. It takes a lot for the stars to align, for people to get hit and hurt by hazards. That’s why misses are more frequent than hits, and why hits don’t always produce harm.

But “most of the time” is not the same as “all of the time.” When things turn out badly, events make headlines, and trigger investigations to understand what went wrong. Sadly, those events also produce pain, suffering and tragedy. 

Such was the result in this tragic case, most of which was caught on camera. The event started out simple enough, a relatively inexperienced person given a simple task, one that most of us have done at some point in our lives. 

As to what caused the event, the investigators were not able to determine that with certainty. That said, it’s not hard to come up with a list of the most likely potential causes.

One thing is for certain: the impact this event had on the family: a mother lost a son, and a child lost a father. 

Making the Case for Safety one more time.

Paul Balmert
January 2019