“See and Be” Safe –  How it started with a single story

About five or six years after his workplace incident, James was approached by a former workmate who’d since become a supervisor responsible for safety. “We’re putting on a ‘Safety Bullsh*t Day’. Will you come down and tell your story to the crew?”. To which Woody politely suggested he “get stuffed”.

Over a few beers, the same mate challenged Woody to think about if someone just like him, who did the same kind of work and laughed at the same jokes had sat in front of him instead of his manager or an unrelatable ‘corporate type’ in a suit and warned him about the real-life impacts of getting hurt at work – would he have listened?

Not the type to shy away from doing something he’s never done before, James strapped on his boots and wheeled up to tell his story. A personal, powerful, relatable story about how the choices he made that day changed his life forever. 

Around the same time, Woody’s sporting pursuits led him to speak in front of workplaces as part of a WorkCover Victoria Paralympic initiative. From this, word continued to spread and calls came in from all over Australia, not just from the mining industry. Manufacturing, construction, telecoms, they all possessed the same need – to make safety impactful and engaging and to go beyond the daily, mandatory mundane. The value of James’ testimony was clear, and so his next endeavour began. 

Then, sitting down one night with his two sons, knowing he needed a vessel to carry his story, he asked them what he should call the business. “You’re always telling us to see and be safe, Dad!”. With that, CNB Safe was born. 

Today, Woody’s story is just one shared by our team of speakers at CNB Safe, each with their own lived experience and a passion for keeping Australia safe. 

Watch the video to hear why Woody still does what he does every day.