 More than at any time in history, most of today's construction workers are safety conscious. They know from experience that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry's safety rules aren't written to make their jobs more difficult, but to help make sure they can continue to work safely in their chosen profession. This is the story of a young enthusiastic construction worker in Washington State whose goal was to make enough money so that he could return to his native Mexico, buy a home, marry a wonderful wife, and settle down to raise a family and enjoy life. The American dream, his dream as well. But in an instant, that dream was shattered. We'll call him Pedro. Pedro was new to the construction field. A rookie who got hurt because he hadn't received the safety training nor the equipment he needed to do the job safely. Pedro didn't know his job sight was an accident waiting to happen. On the other hand, there are old timers who know how to safely do the job. But because they're so good at their job, they sometimes think they don't need to bother with all that restrictive safety stuff. They wear the fall protection harness, just in case the company's safety officer or a compliance officer from L&I is seen in the area. Then they grab the safety line and hook up, hopefully before they get caught. It took only a momentary loss of concentration as this roofer stepped back to contemplate his work. Poor guy, he forgot what the edge of the roof was. Another time he heard the safety officer was nearby, so he was trying to get over to the safety line and hook up when he slipped. Fortunately, Ish is a professional stunt performer. And each fall was into an airbag and for him it was a piece of cake. Before Ish became a professional stunt performer, he actually was a roofer. So he has a special feeling for just how accidents from roofs and scaffolding occurred. He will help us recreate the accident that badly injured Pedro. Pedro is from a little village in Mexico. He's the youngest of five brothers and there was no work to be found in his village. He came to the United States and immediately found work in the agricultural fields of Southern California. At the same time, his brother was doing residential construction in Washington State. He urged Pedro to join him. Pedro did. For about a month after arriving, Pedro and his brother worked together. Their employer provided them with safety glasses, hard hats and safety harnesses. Although they received no training on how to use the safety equipment, nor the rules as stated when they needed to use the equipment, they were left on their own. On the morning of the accident, Pedro was sent to a different job site with a different subcontractor, but without his brother. Under this contractor, he wasn't given safety or fall protection equipment nor any safety training. He was told to use a pump jack to get up to the second level of the house and apply the site. The pump jack had been installed the day before and appeared to Pedro to be installed correctly. As a matter of fact, the pump jack was not installed correctly and that fact contributed significantly to the danger. But from Pedro's limited experience and lack of training, it appeared to be okay. I did not have any training regarding construction. I was ignorant of the safety measures that you need to take with that type of work. I started to work and since I had received orders from my boss that the job was urgent, my own willingness to work made me work exactly how he wanted me to do it quickly. Pedro was asked to do a job that wasn't particularly dangerous, if he had had the correct safety training, the correct safety equipment and fall protection gear and he hadn't been pushed to do the work too quickly, as he himself said. When a person comes to the USA, the only thing in mind is finding work and frankly, one ignores all types of loss or protections. That attitude would prove to be life changing. After Pedro put his tools on the pump jack staffel, he had to pump himself and his tools up to the second level. The employer had not provided a ladder, so Pedro's only means of getting up and down from the job height was the pump jack. The siding was being cut on a chop saw by Pedro's nephew and passed up to him to install. His work that day meant he had to step from the pump jack plank to a small roof next to the pump jack and back again as he worked across the front of the house. He took the pump jack plank a few inches above the level of the roof. This would prove to be disastrous. Pedro was able to negotiate the difference in height between the pump jack and the roof several times without incident. For a guy with no formal or informal training in the installation of siding, Pedro did very well. Until he tripped on the raised plank, stepping from the roof up to the pump jack. It all happened so fast. Let's look at that again from a different angle. He fell only about 12 feet, but there was no chance he could catch himself. Pedro's head hit some waste concrete and he was knocked unconscious. Fortunately his fellow workers didn't try to move him. They called 911 and the fire department aid car responded quickly. Pedro suffered a concussion and later would learn that he broke his back and damaged the spinal cord. These men were professionals. They knew exactly what to do. They must first stabilize him, keep him from moving. They didn't want to cause his injury to worsen because of the movement. They kept him calm, reassured and encouraged him. The paramedics knew from training and experience that there was the potential for a spinal cord injury. The paramedics recruited his fellow construction workers to help make the journey to the aid car smoother for Pedro. Pedro was taken to St. John's Medical Center in Longview, Washington. After he was examined and stabilized, his care was assigned to Dr. Robert Arnstorff, a specialist in rehabilitation medicine at St. John's. He describes Pedro's injuries. He fell and struck his head. He suffered bleeding in his brain and more importantly he broke his back. In the upper part of his back he damaged his spinal cord due to broken bones and he developed what's called paraplegia or paralysis from the waist down. He's gotten some better since I met him and I think he'll get some stronger but I think it's very unlikely that he'll be walking again. I think it's unlikely with our current technology. There's always some hope but it's unlikely. He'll be able to care for himself. He'll be able to get married and all likelihood have children. He'll be working again but in all likelihood most of his time will be in a wheelchair. Dr. Arnstorff said Pedro is a very lucky person. He had a brain injury. He's recovering from the brain injury quite well. His cognitive skills are perfect according to the doctor and he went on to praise Pedro for his hard work. A day after the accident I was thinking very deeply about my accident and feel that we are all responsible for our own safety but I believe that also the companies or corporations that we work for are even more responsible. That was okay the day after the accident but as soon as Pedro was able he needed to get on with his life and that meant physical therapy. His physical therapist was an effective motivator whose goal was to lead Pedro back to living a fulfilling life. Because he has a debilitation that is caused from an injury does not mean he cannot live a joyful, life-fulfilling life. He can still function. He can still have relationships. He can still enjoy hobbies, care for himself. His life is just as hopeful as mine. Lynn saw in Pedro a desire to succeed that she described as awesome. Pedro from the start was very motivated to work as hard as he could. The physical therapist's biggest goal was to improve his physical functions. As you can see they're meeting those goals. Pedro's older brother urged him to come and work with him in Washington State. The brother, his wife and children, in keeping with the tradition of Mexican families have stayed alongside Pedro throughout his injury and rehabilitation. He is happy with the support the state has given his brother. Elena has done a lot for my brother. From the moment I saw my brother move his eyes, I was thankful. He has a positive mental attitude. He looks forward to the future and so he continues to work hard on his rehabilitation. Elena has always been with him and never left him. Thanks to God. Pedro is aware of the facts of his injury and his situation. He understands that he probably won't be able to run and jump and play basketball with the children he hopes to have. But he doesn't see his non-responsive legs as a limitation. Only as a challenge. He does want to find a wonderful wife and establish a loving home. Pedro does dream of a wedding and a mariachi band and even having the first dance with his wife in a beautiful gazebo like this one. He still dreams of being able to do the fancy footwork Mexican dancing demands. But realistically, he knows that he may need the help of crutches when that day comes. But that doesn't diminish his dreams nor the motivation to make it happen. Pedro's days are not filled with regret and sadness. He says he's happy and getting better every day. In many ways, his accident has awakened him to the many opportunities open to him. Opportunities that he was unaware of until his accident. He says that he doesn't feel limited as a human being because all the good things and ideas come out of the heart. Pedro gives the credit to God and to all the good people who surround him. To El and I and the case worker who had always supported him. The doctors, the therapists, his family and friends. They are all part of the support circle that gives him realistic hope and courage for the future. Pedro's doctor at St. John's Medical Center says that because of Washington State's Department of Labor and Industry's support, the Medical Center was able to focus on rehabilitation and education. Pedro has worked hard on his English since his accident. His goal is to become employable in the future and to get on with his life. Since his accident, Pedro has learned that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry's requires that workers be given specific safety instruction about their job before they start work. In addition, workers must be given specific safety gear and fall protection equipment that meets or exceeds El and I's requirements for the type of work the employee is expected to do. And finally, scaffolding must be properly installed. It must be no more than 14 inches from the structured wall. If the employer doesn't meet these requirements, he cannot retaliate against the employee if the employee refuses to do the work. El and I adopted rules to prevent that kind of retaliation. Pedro does have some advice for his fellow workers. If I would have known that I had the right to get all types of safety training and equipment before doing a specific job, truthfully, I would not be in this condition. Sadly, Pedro is absolutely correct. If he had been given the safety training and the proper fall protection equipment and if the scaffold had been correctly installed and used, he would still be doing productive work today, looking toward the day when he could realize his dream of building a beautiful home for his wife and family. They would be living the good life. The accident happened in a life-changing moment. It may take the rest of his life to recover, but Pedro still has that dream. We at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries join Pedro, his family and friends, in believing it will happen.