News

A man who lost his sight in a horrifying workplace accident is coming to the region to urge construction bosses to tighten up their health and safety policies.

And up to 15 places at the event have been reserved exclusively for NOF Energy members.

Ken Woodward, who worked at the Coca Cola Schweppes factory in Kent, was blinded in 1990 when the chemicals he used to clean the production line exploded in his face.

He suffered serious burns, had to have his eyes removed and lost his sense of smell and taste.

But the accident could have been avoided if the correct protective equipment had been available and the broken machine that mixed the chemicals had been fixed.

Since that devastating day, Ken has been on a mission to improve health and safety practices in companies across the globe.

On July 11^th he is the guest speaker at a special event hosted by fabrication firm MC Ware Mechanical to raise awareness of the devastating impact of occupational hazards.

The event will take place in the Wellington Suite of Wynyard Golf Club and will start at 6pm.

Ken said: “It’s so important to get the message out there that health and safety can make or break a business – or someone’s life.

“When I was at Coca Cola, nobody at the company had bothered to fix the machine or make sure that suitable protective gear was available to use.

“Instead, the workers used open containers to mix the chemicals – a practice that had led to several near-misses but had still become the norm.”

“In hindsight, my accident should never have happened but all the warning signs were there.”

Hundreds of North East companies operate in sectors where there is considerable risk of workplace injury – including oil and gas, subsea marine and offshore renewable schemes.

But MC Ware Mechanical, which operates in all of these sectors, said many large contractors would not deal with supply chain firms unless they could demonstrate they had a rigorous safety policy in place.

Since the company launched in 2010 it has completed more than 150,000 man hours of work without a single lost-time injury (where staff are forced to take time off work).

Jonathan Wheatley, managing director of MC Ware Mechanical, said: “Just having a good safety culture is not enough.

“Companies need to take time to ensure that every member of staff is familiar with that culture and knows how to operate safely within it.

“We’re thrilled to have Ken on board for this event. I’m sure his inspirational story will make companies stop and think about their workplace safety culture and perhaps encourage them to change the way they operate.”

Over the past decade Ken has become a globally recognised figure, travelling the world to raise awareness of occupational safety issues.

In one year alone he made 112 flights, 19 overseas trips and 285 presentations in a bid to stop others being hurt.

Up to 15 places at the event have been reserved exclusively for NOF Energy members – many of which operate in the oil and gas, subsea marine and offshore energy sectors.

To reserve your place at the event on July 11^th, please contact Sharon West at MC Ware Mechanical on 01642 710004.