Page 2 - Suncor 360 - May-June 2015

MY JOURNEY TO ZERO
“I remember being in the ambulance and thinking – this is serious...”
Lauren Barwick
Paralympic gold medalist Langley, B.C.
Lauren, shown here representing Canada at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, has competed in three Paralympics since her injury in 2000.
Suncor believes in supporting Canada’s future athletes as they work toward reaching their dreams of competing in a Paralympic or Olympic Games. With help from our Petro-Canada Family Program, Lauren Barwick is one of those athletes. This is her safety story.
Lauren Barwick started riding horses at seven years old, and dreamed of becoming a horse stunt person – but a routine task
put her in the line of fire and almost ended this passion.
She had gone to the barn to feed horses, and noticed that someone had stacked the hay incorrectly. It didn’t look safe, but she believed asking for help was not an option.
She had climbed to the top of the stack to loosen the top bale when she felt it get unsteady. “I was about 10 feet (three metres) off the ground,” says Lauren. "I jumped down and crouched, but the next bale of hay came down and struck me on my back.”
When Lauren woke up at the hospital, she saw that her dad was rubbing her feet – but she couldn’t feel it. She was paralyzed from the waist down.
“I wish I had taken the time to really think through the ‘what if’ – and asked what if I hurt myself?”
SAFETY MOMENT
Striking hazards are the most frequent line of fire risk to workers. These are objects that strike you, or that you strike.
Protect yourself and others:
•Awareness is the first defence. Assess to eliminate or mitigate risks before initiating the activity. Be alert for conditions that may change.
•Always be aware of hand and body placement while performing the activity. •Avoid working underneath loads being moved.
•Barricade hazard areas and post warning signs.
•Secure tools to prevent them from falling on people below.