The message that we as a project was how to promote zero harm and the consequences of what can go wrong including the life changing implications.
Tom tapped into this and promoted that message too. Tom is genuine, nice lad. Very down to earth and great presentation skills which were well received.
We will definitely have one of your team, Tom included back again.
Thank You so much for agreeing to tell your story at Doncaster Delivery Units Safety Stand Down Day. Your story was an emotional and powerful retelling of your accident and the journey you personally went through during, after the event and continue to do so and touched each and every attendee at our event. It was great to hear how you overcame this personally and hear how you’ve got to a place of happiness in life and back doing things you love especially with your wife and young child. The feedback from our people at all levels was of the highest praise and how thought provoking your story is. I’m sure it will be talked about for time to come here and will have a lasting impact of the people who heard it firsthand. Telling it from your perspective and “being one of the lads” made it relatable to our direct staff out there on the tools and this was exactly what we wanted from our key note speaker. Once again thank you for supporting our event and for delivering your story so brilliantly. As a team we wish you and your family ongoing happiness and hope our paths cross again!
”I really like Tom’s authentic delivery of his trauma and the journey he has been on since it happened. I’ve seen his presentation three times now and it hits home every time.
He is engaging when presenting and takes the time to talk the team before and after he delivers his message; not something he has to do but, on each occasion it has been greatly received.
The clear message from the sessions received were peer / supervisor pressure, listening to your ‘gut instinct’, not taking chances or risks, appreciate the ‘small things’ that we take for granted, family & friends support, full range of repercussions after a serious injury, mental health awareness and coping mechanisms plus many more.
Matt Keegan – CCP Ltd
I want to thank you again personally for the powerful and inspiring presentation you gave during our annual staff meeting on Tuesday 28/05.
Your story and openness deeply moved all of us.
The way you connected your personal experience with practical safety advice was both compelling and educational.
I also want to share some feedback we received from our staff which was overwhelmingly positive! They found your speech to be very impactful and informative. Some examples below:
“What a powerful story and important messages delivered! ”
“Very informative and an eye opening.”
“Very heart touching story, especially because it was told by a affected person.”
“Surreal experience that really puts our environments and decisions we make and take for granted into perspective. Much appreciated and needed wake up call.”
Alexandre Donat- Head of QHSE Region Nordic
On behalf of SPEN and Luddon thank you for inviting us to todays World Safety Day stand down.
It was very thought provoking on not only the immediate physical effects of Toms accident but his subsequent mental health issues and indeed his ongoing treatment.
Having spoken to the Luddon’s staff at this mornings briefing they too felt it was a great way of getting the message across as opposed to statistics and slickly produced health and safety videos. While these obviously play a part in disseminating information , it is hard to beat such a personal warts and all story told by the person involved.
I really appreciated how his presentation wasn’t polished by a Comms Team as I think having presentations in different formats keeps people engaged.
It was heart felt, honest, and relatable. His decision to make something positive out of his accident, and his determination to continue in the building trade is inspirational.
I believe that incidents like Tom’s happen in these instances, and so I will be passing his story on to our PC team members who are currently working on site to remind them that even a simple task planned or executed poorly can result in lifechanging injuries.
Tom’s talk was of great use to me and I’m sure the majority of us present on Monday.
For Tom to fight back with positivity from what was a tragic life changing accident, is nothing short of inspirational.
When Tom started to recall the events leading up to his accident I had no idea of the consequences that followed – I was expecting a trip, slip or fall.
I think there would be great value of getting Tom’s message out to the wider front line workforce in NR and it’s contractors. (possibly a video?)
How many times do we see people working in risky environments without wearing eye protection? Would they act the same way if they had Tom’s story in their minds?
I spoke with Tom after the team brief to commend him on his story and determination – he’s a really genuinely nice chap.
When he first started setting the scene before the accident, explaining that he was up and down ladders, I assumed that the injury would be working at height related and never expected him to be talking about an eye injury.
The key point I taken away was that, such a small and seemingly innocuous incident has had a huge impact on himself, his family and colleagues and it strengthens the message that managing health & safety, no matter how trivial it may seem, is so important.
I will certainly be using Tom’s story when I get the next opportunity to share a safety moment and I also think it would be an excellent topic to make use of when chairing a safety hour.
Just a quick note to say how happy I was with Tom’s input to our two H&S days this week – firstly he was where he needed to be when he needed to be there (an underrated quality), his style fitted very well with our teams – he comes across as a down to earth, genuinely nice guy and the teams warmed to him and listened intently to everything he had to say. I would highly recommend him to other organizations looking for an impact speaker.
Mark Linton BSc(Hons) CMIOSH
HSE Manager
DNV
