We are right into 2019 now... February had me chatting with Finny from Face Contracting, An opportunity to see Greg Smith share his story on fatigue in Brisbane, I am working with our local council & I share what happened when my car broke down. We have had a great start to 2019 with some fantastic site visits.... Why don't you get us out to yours??
Greg Smith, CNBSafe Safety Speaker will be a guest speaker at the the Saving Lives Through Technology - The Future of Automation and Managing Fatigue in the Transport Industry breakfast.
This business breakfast event will be held on...
Tuesday 12th March 2019 at 7am
at The Glen Hotel, Eight Mile Plains near Brisbane, QLD
All CNBSafe contacts have been given access to reduced price tickets of only $19 by using the discount code D1NDZ7L when you click on this link to book your ticket.
A great opportunity to get yourself & your team to see Greg Smith and other keynotes speakers talk about the importance of Managing Fatigue!
So most of us have at some stage been unfortunate enough to break down in a vehicle, bike, motorbike. But I just want to put a little bit of a different slant on breaking down.
The other day I had to work about 90 minutes drive from my home. It was a beautiful day so I decided to take my Subaru for
a blast. It’s a great car to drive and I love it.
Anyway I pulled into a service station about 15 minutes from the job site, I had plenty of time left before I was due there, I got out and filled my car up with fuel. I went in to pay for the fuel, grabbed some water and back out to the car. Transferred into the driver's seat and pulled my wheelchair apart and put it in the car with me.
Turned the key and the car was turning over but would not start. Now being a mechanic I pretty quickly diagnosed that it was the fuel pump. However the fuel pump on this car is in the tank and not a quick or easy fix.
So here’s my dilemma, as you know I’m in a wheelchair so public transport in not usually an option. I had 25 minutes to get to work. My car was sitting in a service station and I’m not real good at pushing! So here was my solution. I rang the client and explained that I needed a lift, they said no problems they will send someone. A couple of council dudes pulled in to fill up so I asked them to help me push my car off the servo floor.
I parked the car in a safe spot and waited for my lift to arrive. Went to work and did what I had to do. Arranged a lift back to the servo and my car and then called Roadside Assist. They came out and confirmed that it was the fuel pump. They asked where I wanted it towed to and I said "Home" My house was over 100km away. They then asked if I could get into the tow truck and drive home with the car on the back, I said "Unlikely". So I had to call a mate to drive an hour and a half to pick me up and then another hour and a half home. Me and the car got home safely, I’ll put a new fuel pump in it this week…..
Now the reason I’m sharing this with you all is just have a think about some of the things that me breaking down might be different from you?
I can’t use public transport
I can’t push a vehicle
I had to ask for a lift from a mate
I hate not being as independent as I should be
This is the sort of shit that you don’t think about until it impacts you!! Sure my accident was 30 years ago… But I’m still feeling the impact of it frequently!
As part of my role on the Yarra Ranges Council's Disability Advisory Committee I am keen to make the Yarra Valley as accessible as possible...this is another step in the right direction. See you on the Warby Trail!
I sent a message to the other Safety Speakers late last year and asked them to give me a statement or a sentence about what they enjoy about sharing their stories.
