“What if we let ourselves feel it all? What if we decided that it is strength – not weakness – to let other people’s pain pierce us? What if we stopped our lives and the world for things that are worth stopping for?”
– Glennon Doyle, “Untamed”
Tim Hamilton died while working at his summer job. He was only 19.
As part of the JPMF’s “Casket” workplace safety public awareness campaign, we are producing a series of blogs & short videos that profile some of the workers who have passed away, and whose families have kindly submitted to us photos for the campaign.
Since Const. John Petropoulos died on the job in 2000, more than 20,000 Canadians have died as the result of an injury at work or due to an occupational illness. Behind this stat are 20,000 real people whose lives were cut short – and the thousands and thousands of loved ones left behind to pick up the pieces.
One such worker was Tim Hamilton.Tim was 19 when he died in 1999, as the result of electrocution. His death could have easily been prevented.CLICK TO TWEET
The JPMF worked closely with Tim’s mom, Julie, to create a powerful video with a specific call to action to viewers.
The target audience for this video is parents of young workers. But it doesn’t matter who you are or whether you have kids or not…Tim’s story is a potent reminder that when we see something that could potentially be unsafe – for ourselves or others – we must speak up.
Please take a moment and view the video (1 min 30 sec) on the JPMF You Tube channel.
And then, if you are able, please share the video with anyone you think needs to see it – as well as on your social media platforms. We will never know the difference we make when sharing important safety messages such as this.
But we do know this: by allowing ourselves to feel just a fraction of the pain of another person’s loss – such as Julie Hamilton’s – then the action we may feel compelled to take, such as sharing a video, could save someone’s life.
Also, there is an excellent downloadable resource guide called, “Your Kids & Job Safety,” on the Missing Tim website.
You can also view (and share) the first 30-second “Casket” PSA on the JPMF You Tube channel.
Thank you, take care, stay well & stay safe.
About the JPMF
The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.
John was 32.
The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.
