Grades 7-9 students at the Weyburn Comprehensive School heard a presentation on Thursday about a life-changing workplace accident by speaker Spencer Beach, who told the story of his horrific injuries and how he rebuilt his life afterward.
He was flanked by information signs from Workplace Saskatchewan, which let the students know that about 4,500 workers under the age of 25 are injured on the job every year, and Beach’s story was a cautionary tale about the importance of workplace safety.
Beach donated his book, “In Case of Fire: Please Remain Calm then Slowly Rebuild Your Life”, to the Comp School’s library, and the Workmen’s Compensation Board (WCB) provided T-shirts for all of the students as well as sponsoring his presentation at the school.
As he explained to the students his story began on April 24, 2003, when he went to work as a flooring service technician, removing linoleum from a home under construction in Edmonton.
According to a story by Amanda Silliker for Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, he was on his third day on this job, and he only had to finish the laundry room and half bathroom. He was considering calling in sick — something he never did. Despite the warning bells in his head, he went to the job site.
He was working on his hands and knees when he heard a loud whistle and a bang. Beach was immediately engulfed in a flash fire that spread quickly throughout the entire house. He tried to open the front and back doors but they wouldn’t budge, since the fire was sucking up all the oxygen. He ran to the garage and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open either.
“My clothes were immediately burning, my hair was immediately melting, the skin on my face felt like it was shrinking, the pain was really deep,” Beach recalled.
After about 20 seconds, he was completely drained and collapsed on the ground. Time stopped. The heat and pain all disappeared. Beach had a near death experience. Then he thought about his wife and unborn child and he somehow found the will to try again. He got up, pulled the garage door as hard as he could and, miraculously, he got out.
While at the hospital, he learned he had third and fourth degree burns on 90 per cent of his body. He was told he had a five per cent chance of living. He was in a coma for six weeks and underwent half a dozen surgeries.
