Colin’s safety share

Meet Colin, he’s a Monadelphous Service Technician based on the Woodside operated Goodwyn Alpha Platform.

In February 2019, Colin was working on the North Rankin Platform for a drilling company, when he was involved in an incident that changed his life forever.

That day, Colin was tasked with removing the bolts from the lower rollers on the Drill Module Top drive. This is something he’d done time and time again, so he knew when something didn’t look right. When Colin spoke up to voice his concerns, he was told it would be okay. Unfortunately, after he recessed the job, the bolt came loose and when Colin went to remove it, the load shifted and crushed his right hand. As it turns out 19.5 tonnes of metal on one hand goes pear shaped quickly.

The incident crushed the bones in his hand, leaving him with sever lacerations and a long road to recovery.  

Colin now openly shares learnings and at times tiresome journey re-employment. With 15 months of surgeries, rehabilitation, and mental health challenges – Colin has a story or two to tell.

By sharing his story, Colin hopes to empower his colleagues based on what he could have done to prevent this life altering event. Colin speaks to all the work groups on the facility, spreading the word.

“I feel the need to share my experience through these presentations. While I get somewhat upset, I know it’s so important to share the reality of what it’s like when things go horribly wrong. The reaction I get from the audience is always positive, which drives me to keep going ahead with presenting my story,” said Colin.

Colin continues to build on this presentation as he delivers a strong message about speaking up and stopping the job if things don’t seem right.

Monadelphous encourages voices just like Colin’s. It’s vital to speak up and remind your team members of the importance of safety. Every conversation had is one step closer to a safer workplace. If something doesn’t feel right, speak up and tell your team. The Safe Way Is The Only Way.