Andrew Hann was an apprenticeship scaffolder who died in a workplace accident
June 7, 2016 - Andrew Hann was on his way to a promising career when a workplace accident took his life - he was just 25 years old. His family would like to turn their tragedy into an opportunity to promote workplace safety. In Andrew's name a fall protection demonstration trailer was donated to the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) and the Andrew Hann Memorial Scholarship was created for Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner program students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
"Maybe by telling Andrew's story it will make one person stop and think about the decision they are about to make and our workers will go home safe at the end of their workday," says Karen Hann, Andrew's mother.
Hann says the mobility of the fall protection trailer will allow the SCSA to educate more workers and provide much-needed information across the province.
"People tend to get too comfortable and forget anything could happen. By going to their job sites and providing them with the information, instruction and training we can do more to protect the health and safety of our workers," says Hann.
The Andrew Hann Memorial Scholarship will provide six Sask Polytech students with $2,500 towards their education each year for at least the next 20 years.
"The scholarship will help new students gain the knowledge they need to educate our youth about the importance of workplace safety," shares Nancy Dill, dean, School of Hospitality and Tourism and School of Human Services and Community Safety.
The SCSA has been educating young audiences through a series of training and safety demonstrations across the province to establish a culture of safety before someone enters the workforce.
"Every injury and every incident is preventable with proper safety knowledge and practices. That's the message we will be carrying forward along with the memory of Andrew Hann, and countless other workers who have been injured or killed on the job," says Collin Pullar, president of the SCSA.
For Nickie Corcoran, Andrew's fiancée, making sure workers make it home safely and promoting workplace safety has become a cause very dear to her heart. She was four months pregnant when Andrew died.
"My daughter will never get to meet her daddy because of a series of mistakes and thinking that nothing will happen, everything will be fine, but the truth is accidents happen and the best way to avoid them is to follow the safety procedures," says Corcoran.
Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association - with more than 9,000 residential and commercial construction member companies in Saskatchewan, the SCSA's mission is to provide high-quality safety training and advice to construction employers and employees that will lead to reduced human and financial losses associated with injuries.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic serves 27,000 distinct students through applied learning opportunities at campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, and through extensive distance education opportunities. Programs serve every economic and public service sector. As a polytechnic, the organization provides the depth of learning appropriate to employer and student need, including certificate, diploma and degree programs, and apprenticeship training. Saskatchewan Polytechnic engages in applied research, drawing on faculty expertise to support innovation by employers, and providing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.
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