07/11/2026
My First Serious Construction Incident Happened in 1975, When I Was Four Years Old.
I was an active kid who loved sports and just wanted to play. We didn’t have smartphones or devices. Our playtime was outside, wherever our parents or older siblings took us.
One day, my father, who owned a small masonry contracting company, stopped by a job site.
Two of my older sisters were with us. I don’t actually remember the incident. I know the story from hearing it many times from my sister, who was 12 at the time.
Apparently, my 8-year-old sister and I decided to have a jumping competition from a low porch on the house being built. We would back up, run, and jump to see who could go the farthest.
On my last turn, I backed up as far as I could for a good running start.
But it never happened.
I backed directly into an unprotected stairwell.
No guardrails.
Nothing to stop a four-year-old from falling 8 feet.
I fractured my skull.
I don’t remember the fall, but I’ve heard the story often enough for it to feel like a memory.
I do remember waking up in the hospital. My father was there, along with our cousin Billy. Billy brought me a brand-new Zebco rod and reel and a fishing tackle box. I also remember playing with another kid’s Tonka dump truck.
Funny what a four-year-old remembers.
I didn’t know it then, but this would be the first of several serious incidents in construction that would teach me some very hard lessons.
Some may say my father was negligent for taking me onto a construction site. I disagree.
This was 1975. OSHA was only four years old. Construction safety was nonexistent.
The stairwell should have been protected.
It wasn’t.
A four-year-old did exactly what four-year-olds do.
I wasn’t trained. I didn’t see a hazard. I was only trying to beat my sister in a jumping contest.
That’s the point.
We can’t always expect the person exposed to a hazard to recognize it or make the right decision.
They may be new, inexperienced, poorly trained, distracted, tired, or under production pressure. Sometimes, they simply have no idea the hazard is there.
That’s why we train. That’s why we inspect. That’s why we plan.
That’s why leadership must identify and manage risk.
Incidents happen quickly. We can’t prevent everything, but so many can be prevented, minimized, and/or mitigated.
A lot of pain, suffering, and sorrow can be avoided when someone takes the time to recognize the risk and put the protections in place.
Looking back more than 50 years later, I realize that fall was probably one of the first experiences that steered me toward safety and risk.
Today, I use this story during training and speaking engagements.
It was a hard lesson and, unfortunately, it wouldn’t be my last. But every one of those experiences helped mold me and gave me the perspective I have today.
Protecting People. Strengthening Organizations. Managing Risk.
Gilchrist Safety Solutions, LLC
