Slips and falls may come with a steep price
Courtesy photo of Randy Broom (right) and his dad Jack (left).
How much money would it take to completely alter your life?
For Randy Broom, it was just a small bucket of change.
Broom’s dad died in January because of a slip and fall incident. His father was taking coins to the bank to be exchanged when the container holding the money slipped out of his hand. His dad tried to catch the container, causing him to lose his footing and fall, injuring his neck and spinal cord.
“If you’re going to do something, don’t set yourself up for failure,” Broom said. “My dad put the coins in a container that was smooth and didn’t have a handle, so when the weight caused it to slip from his hands and he tried to catch it, rock salt on the ground and uneven footing caused him to fall and become paralyzed from the neck down.”
Slip and fall injuries can happen to anyone. Broom says this tragic event is a good reminder that even small choices have big consequences.
“Decisions matter,” Broom said. “You have to weigh each decision and think the outcome through before you do it. You want to take care of yourself, and in doing so, you’re also taking care of the craft, because you’re trying to put out the best work package to mitigate any hazards.”
Broom, senior advisor, teaches a conservative decision-making class educating Pantexans on the importance of protecting themselves and others through thoughtful actions.
“In my class, I tell people that the decisions you make do not just affect you, they affect family, coworkers, and others,” Broom said. “People have to be safety minded and ask themselves critical questions before performing any task.”
Is what I am about to do necessary? Is the weather going to affect this job? Is there a time crunch? Should I wait until I’m better prepared? Do I need help with the task? Does the task have the correct tools or containers that will make me successful?
Broom says safety should be at the forefront of everything we do—big and small. Asking questions can’t prevent all bad things from happening, but it can help lessen the likelihood of an incident.
“My dad was laying in the hospital bed and told me, ‘Randy, I wish I had taken that money and threw it in the trash. It wasn’t worth it,’” Broom said. “I said ‘dad you can’t think about it that way’. You don’t know what is going to happen. What happened to my dad might not have occurred if he would have had the right safety tools for the job like a container with a handle or a clear walkway.”
Broom says when going out to a job site, check your surroundings for slip and fall hazards. The site might be dry when the job was planned, but rain could happen at any time. Do a visual inspection and think ahead.
Spare change changed Broom’s life, but he’s honoring his dad’s legacy by educating others on thoughtful decision making and adherence to safety requirements.
“I talked to my dad every day,” Broom said. “I did everything for him, and he did everything for me. And now he’s gone. You never think it’s going to happen to your family. I encourage everyone at work or out in town, just be mindful and take care of yourself. Take care of others. It’s not just you that is affected.”