Jason's story - a young life lost

A confronting and honest look into the heartache of losing a son and mate to a preventable workplace incident. 

Jason Garrels was just 20 years old when he died at a construction site in Clermont, Queensland in 2012. He had only been working there for nine days and his death was preventable. 

In this video, Jason’s family and friends share their experiences to raise awareness about the importance of workplace safety, the need for effective communication between subcontractors on construction sites, and appropriate supervision and supportive mentoring for young workers. 

It also brings to attention the importance of housekeeping in preventing incidents, and allowing emergency access to sites if an incident does occur. 

Who is this seminar for? 

This video is for supervisors and managers of young workers in the construction industry, subcontractors, young workers and their families. All workers in the construction and electrical industries may be interested in this video. 

About the presenters 

This video was provided by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ), who is responsible for improving work health and safety in Queensland and helping reduce the risk of workers being killed or injured on the job. 

In this video we hear from the family and friends of Jason Garrels, as well as Warwick Holmes, a Senior Inspector for WHSQ. 

Supporting information

Document type
Video and audio
Tag by Topic
Leadership and culture
Workers' stories
Young workers