Holly Shaw-Hollis on the Importance of Workplace Safety Protections

Holly Shaw-Hollis
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

On September 7, 2002, my husband Scott Shaw was working on a barge on the Schuylkill River, in Philadelphia. He was walking from one barge to another, on old tires, with no life vest – and fell in.

On September 9th they found his body. September 12th was my youngest son’s 3rd birthday, so he didn’t see his daddy on his birthday.

One of the reasons he didn’t is because the company did not follow regulations – they did not have insurance on their workers. They did not have lifesaving equipment.

They delayed calling the marine police. They did not require their workers to wear life vests. There was no one there to oversee, to make sure that they were following regulations.

Something that’s happening now is, a lot of companies are saying it costs too much to ensure the safety of your workers. I don’t believe that. I believe that we need to hold companies accountable.

As a teacher, I hold my students accountable – and we need to fund safety education and make sure these companies are providing safety for their workers. It will save money in the long run – and it will save lives – and I think that’s priceless.

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Thanks to United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities for connecting us with Holly.