Tragedy starts safety drive

By Lia Bichel
THE worst day of Marion Mason’s life was 10 years ago, when her husband died in a work-related accident. Six months later she developed stress-related breast cancer.
Now, while she fights for her own life, she uses her experiences to advocate for workplace safety.
Ten years ago, the Upwey resident, then 59, was enjoying life with her husband, Clem, 58, on their 20-acre Narre Warren property. They ran an excavator business and had planned to retire at the end of the year.
But life changed drastically when Mr Mason died on 18 May 1999. His truck and trailer, which had been towed backward on to the site by the excavator, rolled down a busy road and, in an attempt to reach the cabin, Mr Mason ran along a steep embankment, but fell and slipped under the dual wheels of the truck.
Mrs Mason still remembers how she felt when she heard her husband had died.
“I started to hyperventilate. I couldn’t think straight,” she said. “It was the most devastating day of my life.”
In her grief, she joined the Industrial Deaths Support Advocacy Inc (IDSA) four months later. The advocacy helps families and workmates who are traumatised by workplace deaths, promotes workplace safety, and advocates for changes in laws to ensure people comply with safety rules.
Disaster struck again in 1999, when doctors discovered a lump in Mrs Mason’s breast. They said it was breast cancer caused by stress.
She spent that first Christmas after her husband died and all of 2000 undergoing intravenous chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
After the bout of breast cancer, Mrs Mason began telling her story at worksites and meetings, advocating for workplace safety.
During her first speech at a health and safety meeting for the Ford Motor Company in Broadmeadows, she received reassurance that her speech made an impact.
“One woman ran out of the room crying in the middle of my talk,” she said. “I didn’t want to upset anyone, but I knew the message was getting across.”
Mrs Mason tells workers to listen to instructions, recognise what everyone on site is doing, never rely on others to do something, double-check that important jobs are complete, never do a job causes anxiety, and always wear appropriate safety gear.
Last year there were 18 workplace deaths in Victoria, excluding deaths from asbestos and mesothelia.
Through her own illness and grief, Mrs Mason continues to find the strength to tell her husband’s story to help others prevent similar tragedies.
“I am determined to fight and live, I am too young to give in,” she said.
“I look at life differently now. I have learnt to value every day, I am still OK, and I can still do whatever I can to help others.”