WSIB: Workplace Safety

More videos kindly provided by jillc. Thank you! Incidentally, if anyone has requests, please do post them. I've already had two for The Finishing Line, which I'm trying to capture off of Screen Online. It will be here ASAP.

These two films are made by the WSIB (Workplace and Insurance Board), which pays out compensation to the victims of workplace accidents in the state of Ontario, Canada. Just like the TAC in Australia, it is in their interest to keep such accidents at a minimum. I don't know if their efforts stop said injured workers from running into the arms of those ambulance - chasing ghouls who advertise on late night TV, but it must be a relief to lucky Ontarians who can switch on at 3am without hearing "Have YOU been hurt in a trip or fall at work?"

Much like The Right Steps, the first one shows a woman falling off a ladder in spectacular fashion. The difference, of course, is that she's at work. What I wouldn't give to be her lawyer right now! Only instead of screaming for an ambulance as I'd do, she bravely stands up, covered in blood (and blimey, is that her arm hanging off?) and declares that this Wasn't An Accident. Oh, so you jumped off, did you? Well, no. The company should have replaced that ladder years ago, and why don't they have policy on two people doing a job? As if that's going to put your broken bones back together. Sue them, I say! Sue them!

Come to think of it, the visuals are quite shocking, but to quote jillc:

Though the impact of the gore is somewhat softened by the calm, almost reflective tone of the vic.

Then there's the second:



in which a bloke is crushed beneath a pile of falling boxes. He does accept that this is an accident, and after squeezing the company for every penny they've got, he has had reconstructive facial surgery and retired to Barbados. I love happy endings.

I'm kidding, sorry. He thinks he should have been concentrating on what he was doing, and that the supervisor should have reported the broken shelf. Because there really are no accidents! Got it now? The subtext, no not even the subtext, more like the in - yer - face punchline is "If you get hurt at work, it's your fault. You are stupid, or suicidal. And if it's not your fault, then someone at the company screwed up. Anyway, someone should have prevented it. No, you can't have compensation!"

Both films link to http://www.prevent-it.ca/, where you can look at nice pictures of serious injuries and things like that. Groovy.