Dean even wore safety goggles when playing with Nerf guns. “They might be foam, but they could still take your eyes out,” says Kelly. “That’s called instilling safety.” (…)
On work sites, Dean never removed his hard hat or safety harness, not even at lunch. (…)
When their son, Kingston, was born in September 2014, Dean became known as the world’s safest dad. He insisted on buying a $300 car seat, with help from his grandmother, Donna Smith. “He had to get the top safety brand,” says Donna. Worried that Kingston might knock his head on a sharp corner, Dean moved all four coffee tables out of the living room.
On Nov. 23, 2015, Dean set out for a contract job at the West Fraser pulp mill in Hinton. Kelly called him that afternoon, and, before hanging up, reminded his son to “have a safe day.” Dean replied, “I always do.”
Hours later, Dean was installing a safety handrail for mill employees to cross a tower without needing to wear a harness. “It was literally to make it 100 per cent safe for them,” says Kelly.
According to Kelly, Dean’s safety lanyard got caught in the coupling of a motor and sucked him into the machinery.
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety is investigating the death.
