Safety helps you work rest and play!

by David Osborne

Australia day 2006 was a memorable day, I managed to crush two vertebrae in my back, and experience my world change in an instance. My physical world and my psychological world took an unexpected battering, that changed my life. The events that unfolded taught me some valuable lessons in safety, and I would like to share them with you.I had been working for a fly in fly out gold mining operation for the last two years, and was now taking some down time. I was determined to experience the laid back Australian life style to the fullest and had started boogie board riding in the early mornings.There is nothing like early morning guy banter, and catching the waves down on the beach. Time seems to be erased as you adopt the relaxed pattern of the sea. This morning was also special because I had managed to get into my wetsuit by myself. On previous occasions I had had to have my colleagues zip the back up, I was clearly loosing weight.For two hours I floated around, catching the occasional wave and riding its crest into the shore. We would even boast to each other “how that wave took us into the front room of the house across the road”, of course, all in male bravado and jest. The last wave I caught that morning was like all the others, or so I thought. I caught the wave and rode into shallow water, when a second wave broke down on top of me, driving me off my board and head first into the wet sand. On collision with the sand I felt my brain explode into what can only be described as sixty radio channels all being turned on at the same time, pain shot through every cell in my body.I walked out of the surf with every inch of my upper body feeling like it had been maniacally beaten with a baseball bat. Pain had been a close associate of mine throughout my sporting life. I had been temporarily paralysed from a horse riding accident, obtained broken ribs from karate, and punches to the throat that stopped me eating for days. I have run a hundred and twenty kilometres pushing a barrow of iron ore, and experienced the pain of no skin between my legs and stinging sweat soak into the open wounds. Today this pain was different.I struggled with my wetsuit, and peeled it off. The trip home was silent, as I was coming to terms with my condition. My friend suggested I have a warm bath, and “everything will be fine in a few hours”. I knew this was advice was little simplistic as I sat in my front room and two of my teeth fell out.I shuffled to the bathroom and struggled even to open the draw for the panadol. Every inch of my upper body had a pounding ache that doubled me over, searching for positions to ease the condition. It was one of those times you hope someone would walk through the door and put you out of your misery; there is no joy in this situation.Every 5 seconds for 24 hours I slowly manoeuvred my body through every foetal position in the book. Fortunately the next day my neighbours dropped round to see me, and with in minutes I was off to see the doctor.Like most people I don’t mind doctors, I just don’t like the truth about my own mortality. It was explained to me that I might have crushed one or more vertebrae in my spin, which could then sever my spinal cord. I was immediately sent for X-rays. The doctor undertaking the X-rays looked concerned at the pictures, and had a “you have done some real damage here” look in his eyes. I had one round of X-rays after another, and then a CT scan to find out the full extent of the damage. Thankfully I was also proscribed some stronger painkillers.That night I took one of the painkillers, but was still squirming on the floor, looking for a part of my body that didn’t hurt when in contact with the ground. I took another painkiller and I felt a river of numbness flow through my veins. Over the next few days doctor after doctor explained to me how lucky I was not to be permanently paralysed. I had crushed two vertebrae in my spine, and they were no longer in their original shape. This was a permanent condition, which would impact on how the rest of the spinal interacted with the vertebrae. However there were no signs, as yet, of any nerve damage.The mental pain of reflection and shock took over at this point. When you are not actually involved in an accident you do not understand the level shock that occurs when you deeply reflection on an issue that could permanently change your life. The reflection occurs with strong emotional feelings tied to the thoughts. As you can be emotionally inflated by a success, you can also be emotionally deflated by a potential loss. You can not truly understand the psychological pain that occurs after an accident unless you go through it. This is what you realise and learn:1. Within an instant your life can be changed permanently 2. Within an instant the quality of your life can be dramatically reduced. 3. The physical pain is followed by a sever bout of psychological pain, a “dark mood”.4. The psychological pain is nearly as debilitating as the physical pain.5. Rarely do your colleagues and friends understand the condition, and you will be distinctly on your own.6. Life changing situations can, and often do occur when we least expect them to occur. I could not see any difference between the wave that dumped me, than any of the others I rode that morning.7. We should always take a step back from a situation, reflect on the possible hazards, and undertake a risk assessment. Being macho in a wheel chair is a fool’s paradise.8. Get adequately informed and trained, so you can undertake an activity safely and cope with its hazards.Several weeks after the event, and my spine clicks as I breathe and bend. There is still pain but I can cope with this. I have another round of X-rays to undergo in the near future. Understand this key point as I finish, when you have an accident that potentially permanently effects the quality of your life, you not only have to cope with just the physical pain. You will have to cope with a much darker and deeper pain, the pain of shock, reflection, and the realisation of what could have been.

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