On 3 February 1993 at age 29, Kahi Puru was crushed in a forklift accident at work after completing a 13-hour shift. Due to the extent of his injuries, his left leg was amputated at the hip and he was hospitalised for 8 months. Drawing on the strength of his family and loved ones, Kahi defied the odds and went on to become a world-class athlete and safety culture champion.
One of Australia’s best bench press powerlifters, Kahi represented the nation at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney when he was ranked No. 1 in Australia and 7th in the world. At the same time, he was slowly reintegrating into the workforce. Determined to shift the industry’s lacklustre approach to safety, Kahi spoke out about the shared responsibility of management, teams and individuals to create a safe work environment.
Joining the Taylor team onsite at Proximity@Botany, Kahi shared his powerful story of resilience, perseverance and determination. Exploring the power of connection, he encouraged the team to look after their fellow peers by adopting a collective approach to risk management and safety reporting.
Kahi said, “Safety reporting always has to be the top priority – the first and last 10-minutes of your shift can save your life, or the life of your colleague. Think safe, work safe, go home safe.”
Taylor would like to thank Kahi for sharing his story, as well as those who helped bring this event to life. You can learn more about Taylor’s commitment to safety here.
