Bill is a safety advocate who understands what happens when a loved one dies from a workplace incident. Incidents don’t just affect the individual - they have a ripple effect on families, friends, workplaces and communities.
Background:
Bill’s 17-year-old son Tim died after receiving severe burns following an electrical accident at work. Bill now visits businesses in New Zealand and Australia as a safety advocate, to encourage all workers and management to make electrical and workplace safety a priority, and to highlight the personal impacts that an accident can have on workers and their families.
Every year about 40 New Zealanders die due to workplace related incidents, and around 3200 New Zealanders will suffer some kind of permanent injury. Young workers and new workers are particularly vulnerable to risk in their workplace and need induction and proper training, adequate supervision, mentoring and support.
Current experience:
Bill shares his tragic story to inspire people to lead in safety culture, and to better understand the unique safety requirements of all workers especially young workers.