Every step counts
Cody Davis was just 22 when a workplace accident took his life in 2009.
It was just one moment of inattention and a lapse in communication between workmates that cost him everything. But a moment was all it took.
His poignant obituary described Davis as a ‘big teddy bear who collected friends like other people collected stamps.’
Justin Scott was one of the friends that Davis collected along his journey in life and the news of his death still haunts the owner of Outline Construction Ltd.
In Davis’ honour, he participates in the Steps for Life 5K Walk.
The money raised in the walk supports programs and services offered by Threads of Life to support families affected by life-altering workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.
“We’ve been a part of it for four or five years now,” says Scott.
He said Threads of Life helped Davis’ mom after his accident.
“I think the biggest thing was they provided counselling and they also provided connections to other families who had gone through similar events, so they could relate to each other,” he said.
Those kinds of connections are a lifeline to the family members left behind.
Scott is still in contact with his friend’s mother, getting together a couple times each year, including at the Steps for Life walk.
The event serves not only as a fund-raiser, but also helps educate the public and encourages improvements in workplace safety.
For Scott, the owner of his own construction company based in Warman, losing a friend has permanently imprinted a respect for the potential dangers of the workplace. This is especially true in construction, an industry with plenty of opportunities for workplace accidents if supervisors and workers are not wary.
“I think the biggest thing we do differently is that we were a new start-up company in the residential construction sector, and we had a safety program and a safety mentality right from Day 1. That really stands apart when we’re on-site.”
Scott is responsible for eight to 14 employees, depending on the season and workload. He feels the weight of responsibility to make sure each of them returns home safe each night and makes safety a part every job.
“We have our safety program where we use the Pre-Job Safety Inspection (PSI) protocol as well as safety meetings. We run the same kind of safety system that you would see on an industrial site, just a little more simplified to suit the tasks we are doing.”
The PSI is a printed booklet that helps identify the hazards involved with the individual tasks on the worksite each day, and what kind of safety measures are involved at each stage of a project. Weekly team safety meetings are used to talk about more general risks like heat stress or other environmental risks.
“It helps increase the level of communication on the crew, which helps everybody strive toward the common goal of no incidents,” says Scott.
“We didn’t go into the business because we wanted to hurt people.”
The Workers Compensation Board said Saskatchewan suffered 31 workplace fatalities in 2016, in a report last month.
“Even one injury or death is too many,” said Peter Federko, WCB CEO, in a release. “We mourn every lost life as one too many. We need to be diligent every day as workers, as employers and as citizens to keep ourselves and each other safe.”
The message may be getting through. Saskatchewan’s total injury rate in 2016 dropped 11.9 per cent from 2015. Unfortunately, Saskatchewan remains the third highest in workplace injuries among the provinces.
The Saskatoon Steps for Life 5K Walk is set for Sunday, May 7 starting at the Diefenbaker Centre on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Registration is at noon, with the walk beginning at 1 p.m. In Regina, the walk begins at 11 a.m., departing from the Totem Pole in Lakeshore Park.
There is an easy online registration process for individuals or teams at stepsforlife.ca, with tools available to collect online donations.
There are also opportunities to take part as corporate challenge team or to volunteer at the event.