WHEN Jack Jones headed off to work in Sturt Street on the morning of May 15, he could never have foreseen that his life would be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was the day that a simple task of unhooking a trailer, a task he had performed "millions of times" would turn into a series of events that will culminate in him losing his leg, which will happen later this month.
And for Mr Jones, himself, a past occupational health and safety officer, it proved once again why workplace safety laws are so crucial for all people and their families who suffer as a result of accidents on the job.
The 26-year-old, father of three-year-old Deegan, is still processing what his life will be like going forward.
I went back to the specialist on Tuesday just gone and the specialist said the foot could not be saved and the decision was made that they would amputate my leg from below the knee
- Jack Jones
"I'm an asphalter and we were doing a job on Sturt Street creating the bike path. We were unhooking the truck and the landing leg gave way as soon as the truck unhooked," Mr Jones from Canadian said.
"The trailer fell straight on my foot and pinned me down. I've never known any pain like it it.
"I was wearing my steel cap boots, If I hadn't have had them on, it would have sheared my foot straight off.
"The CFA came and got the jaws of life, they cut my boot off, gave me something for the pain and the next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital ward."
The impact broke all the bones in Mr Jones' foot. He underwent two surgeries and was bed ridden in hospital for a week.
But worse news was to come when he went for his check-up on May 26.
IN OTHER NEWS
- TURNING ON: Paid parking to resume in Ballarat
- NO EXCUSE: Man who murdered Mt Pleasant woman jailed for 29 years
- STATUS QUO: No date change for Ballarat Cup
"There was no blood flow, there's no feeling in half my foot and they told me pretty well straight away that I would lose my toes, and that was something I accepted was going to happen," he said.
"Then I went back to the specialist on Tuesday just gone and the specialist said the foot could not be saved and the decision was made that they would amputate my leg from below the knee."
Having worked every day since he was 14, Mr Jones said he was still trying to process what his life will be going forward.
He dreads having to tell his son that he might not be able to go bike riding with him in coming months.
"There's so much to take in, I'm still trying to accept what's happened and how we go forward from here," he said. "It was just a blink of the eye.
"I'm always out doing something, dirt bikes, BMX, I haven't had time to think what will happen going forward."
Mr Jones said in his previous employment, he was an occupational health and safety representative at MaxiTRANS and remembers calling in all staff to a meeting the day that two men were killed in a workplace accident in Delacombe in 2018 to highlight the importance of safety in the workplace.
He said, safety had always been his own priority in the workplace and he holds no grudges towards his employer who he says "has been amazing throughout and I could not have asked for a better boss".
"OH&S is not a joke, You have to send your workers home every day, it's such an important thing in this world, you don't want to end up like me."
Workplace safety advocate Lana Cormie, whose husband Charlie was killed in that 2018 accident at Delacombe, said there was a lot of work to be done to support permanently injured workers in this state.
Dr Cormie is a member of the state government's Workplace Incidence Consultative Committee and said it was crucial workers with life changing injuries, and their families, were supported more.
"The reality is all fatalities could be injuries and all injuries could be fatalities, we need to look at all things holistically," she said.
"It's all symptoms of the same problem and there is a lot of work that needs to be done in this state.
Minister for Workplace Safety Jill Hennessy said workers permanently disabled could be eligible for lump-sum payments
"Any workplace injury is devastating, particularly one so serious - that's why injury prevention and ensuring workers return home safely every day is our most important goal," Ms Hennessy said.
"Where injuries do occur WorkSafe provides support to assist in a worker's recovery and a safe return to work - this includes financial support for loss of wages and payment for medical and like costs, including rehabilitation and retraining where appropriate."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Mr Jones to help support his young family which in two days has already raised more than $3000.
"I just can't thank everyone who's donated to the GoFundMe page enough," Mr Jones said. "To know that so many people out there care, it is really humbling.
"My father has always said, if it happens, it happens and that's how I live my life. There's no point sitting around in a wheelchair feeling sorry for myself. I'm alive, I'm not paralysed, I'm grateful I'm still here. It's happened now and now I've get on with life as best I can."
If you wish to help Jack and his family, head to gofundme.com/f/help-jack-jones
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.