A Saskatchewan man detailed his near-fatal experience involving a power line at a construction site when he was just 17 years old.
Curtis Weber was three days into his very first job – installing large metal silos when one of them struck an overhead power line.
The resulting electrical shock left him with severe burns and forced the amputation of his foot and hand.
Weber delivered an address to the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association on Thursday, in an effort to convey the importance of workplace safety.
Curtis Weber (via WorkSafe BC)
He says the life-changing event had a profound impact on his family, but he’s glad that telling his story has helped to change the mindset of many in the workplace.
“And everything that I just shared in the room, as it relates to the incident itself, comes from, not my memory, but from the memory of those that witnessed a 17-year-old kid being violently thrown back and forth with high voltage,” he said.
“It’s not lost on me that I have no recollection of that stuff, but those people will never forget it. I think that, for me, that’s an important part of the message.”
