How real do you treat Danger? More Bull Story..

My wife’s brother has worked on Dairy farms for over 30 years now and so has some experience in working with cattle. However that experience did not prevent him recently from being head butted in the shoulder from behind by the herd bull, causing both a broken and dislocated shoulder and knocking him to the ground where it gored him briefly on the chest and legs, leaving bruising and discomfit to this day, before the Bull was driven off by the Boss. This happened nearly a month ago and he is still off work and will be for a little while yet.

This news was scary enough but the more so when the facts were made known. The employers bought the bull some 2 years ago when he was around six months old. Even then he was a little boisterous. But also in the meantime, before the latest episode, he had previously twice “bumped” either the boss or one of the other workers. So his reputation was one that meant he was to be watched at all times, yet somehow, my brother in law, with over 30 years of experience with dairy cattle, still managed to find himself in a situation while working with the cattle, which left him exposed blindly to danger. Even expected danger!

What about us? No matter how experienced we are, or how many times we have done a certain action before? How many times do we need to be told that something is dangerous before we get the message and treat the subject at hand as so, and avoid putting ourselves and others, into dangerous situations?

It is true that the Bull was sold to the Butchers the very next day, so that problem will not happen again, but would it not have been better if this had happened much earlier? If not after the first instance certainly after the second?

It is not my desire or intention to point the finger of blame at anyone in this present situation, but rather to ask you to re-evaluate the dangers in your life situations, and ask, how many warnings do you need to avoid the dangers of your life situation? Have you become tired, bore or worse, complacent? If so, wake up and learn from others who have gone before you and paid an unwanted and painful price. Over to you: Walter