CQ man injured in explosion shares WHS musts

Anton Guinea speaks to students at the 2018 Gladstone Career Expo

Gladstone man Anton Guinea luckily escaped death when an industrial switchboard exploded in his face, exposing him to a 20,000C shock that left him with second degree burns over 16 per cent of his body.

He was a young 21-year-old electrical apprentice when he was measuring where to drill some holes on March 8, 1994.

The accident left him in a Brisbane hospital where he needed to have the dead skin removed, and it took five weeks before he was finally released.

He said rushing the job and trying to save five minutes left him in hospital where he lost five weeks of his life.

After suffering through this horrific incident, he had to deal with the emotional pain for much longer after his wounds had healed.

He said it took 10 years for him to get his head around what happened.

“It kind of sticks with you mentally because you feel like… you feel inadequate because you made the wrong decision,” Mr Guinea said.

“You feel unemployable, you feel like a bad example to others.

“That’s a pretty emotional part.”

Mr Guinea started up his business in 2004 and now tours Australia spreading important messages about safety in the workplace.

And with the World Day for Safety and Health coming up on Wednesday, he wants to spread the message of three important changes that can be made in the workplace to help make it safer.

His first tip – take responsibility for safety in the workplace.

“Don’t put time, schedule, getting somewhere fast, rushing a job… don’t put something else before your safety,” he said.

Secondly, workers should consult with their employers about the way workplace health and safety is handled.

“We’re actually duty bound – to co-operate and consult with our employers,” Mr Guinea said.

“If we are asked by our employers to be part of the process, we are bound to do that.

“Workers know their jobs better than their managers or leaders, so get in front of the game.”

He said the cost of a workplace incident was far greater than the cost of preventing one.

It all starts with the workplace health and safety leadership within a company, with it empowering other workers to be safe at work.

And thirdly, don’t walk past any potential incidents. Be proactive and make changes to the workplace.

“It’s so easy to save a life,” he said.

“If you’re stomach’s churning or the hair’s standing up on the back of your neck, say something.

“Go check all of your cords in the office. Go have a look on your shelves, there’s something that could fall off.”

According to Safe Work Australia, 29 workers have been killed at work so far in 2021, and preliminary figures show 178 fatalities in 2020.

Mr Guinea said 18 of these people were white collar workers.

“Spare a thought for the risks in your workplace, and the provisions that those 178 people made,” Mr Guinea said.

“Be mindful, reset, don’t become a statistic.

“It’s just not worth it. I’ve been there, I’ve done that.”

 

https://7plus.com.au/seven-local-news-central-queensland?episode-id=7LNR21-084