Blair Taylor was living life to the full; he had found his life partner, had a job he enjoyed and was involved in an active social and recreational life.All that changed when he didn’t wait for his workmate to hold his ladder.Everything he had built in his life came crashing down.
Daniel Swain has no memory of the accident that changed his life forever. At the age of 23, about to marry his long term partner pregnant with their first child, proud owner of his first home and making good money in a job he loved, Daniel literally didn’t know what hit him.
“I welcome the opportunity to get out into the workplace and spread the message about obeying the rules and doing things the safe way. I’m more than happy to use my experience as an example and convince people not to be complacent or take shortcuts in the way they go about their work – it’s just not worth the risk”.
“I was injured at a young age and I want to make young people aware that they are not invincible - I want to encourage other people to speak up and not fall down due to peer pressure - I want people to think about the risks they take, to think about their responsibilities - and to pass on my experiences”.
When Russel Fawcett was injured in a motor cycle accident in 1978 all members of his family were devastated and rushed to his support. They even moved house to be closer to the hospital, with both parents changing jobs and his brothers and sister changing schools. Memories of that love and dedication remain with Russel, as do feelings of guilt about the disruption caused to so many lives.