When my husband, Mark Stanway, suffered a serious accident while working in construction, life changed for our whole family.
Suddenly, I found myself dealing with the emotional, physical and financial consequences of an accident I had never expected to happen. My role changed almost overnight as I became a carer, supported Mark through his recovery and tried to keep our family moving forward while adapting to a completely different life.
That experience gave me a perspective on workplace safety that goes far beyond what happens at the moment of an accident. When somebody is seriously injured at work, the impact can reach partners, children, friends, colleagues and entire families.
Today, I share our experience to help construction organisations understand the human consequences behind workplace accidents and why good safety culture matters.
My talks explore the impact of serious injury on family life, caring for someone through recovery, the emotional pressure that can follow an accident and what organisations can learn from the experiences of the people affected.
For me, workplace safety isn’t simply about statistics, procedures or compliance. Behind every incident is a person, and around that person are people whose lives may change too.
When life took an unexpected turn, I found myself at the forefront of a challenge that reshaped my entire world. After my husband, Mark Stanway, suffered a traumatic accident in the construction industry, I was thrust into the role of caregiver and family leader, managing the emotional, physical and financial complexities of trauma.
Through this journey, I discovered an unshakable resilience and a deep passion for workplace safety advocacy. Today, I’m a powerful voice for change, sharing my personal experience to educate, inspire and drive meaningful conversations about the critical importance of safety standards. My mission is to not only prevent workplace accidents but also shed light on the far reaching impact they have on families and communities.
With raw honesty and unwavering determination, I engage with my audiences with a message of strength, awareness and action empowering individuals, organisations and industry leaders to prioritise safety, prevent tragedy and support those affected by workplace incidents.
In episode 25 of the Onward Shift Podcast, I sit down with Debra Stanway for a deeply emotional conversation about the hidden impact workplace accidents can have on families.
Following her husband Mark Stanway’s devastating scaffold fall, Debra found herself carrying the emotional weight of supporting not only his physical recovery but also the mental and psychological struggles that followed. In this powerful episode, she opens up about the reality of watching someone you love battle PTSD, chronic pain, memory loss and the loss of identity that can come after life-changing injuries.
We also discuss the emotional impact on partners, children and family life, along with the challenges of navigating a system that often leaves families feeling unsupported and unheard. Debra’s honesty offers an important insight into the side of workplace trauma that people rarely talk about the ripple effect it has on everyone around the injured person.
This is a raw, human and incredibly important conversation about resilience, mental health, family support and the lasting consequences of workplace accidents within construction and beyond.
Yes. Our keynote speakers can be booked by construction companies, education providers and other organisations looking to start meaningful conversations around mental health and lived experience.
Pricing varies depending on the speaker, location, session length and requirements. We’ll provide a clear price before anything is booked.
Yes, we can travel across the UK and beyond.
Construction is our main focus, although our speakers can also share their experiences with audiences outside the industry where the subject and message are a good fit.
A keynote is primarily designed to share a powerful message or lived experience with a wider audience. Workshops are usually more interactive and give people more opportunity to explore a particular mental health topic, ask questions and take part in discussion or practical activities.
Imagine a project team that has spent months working under a difficult client, dealing with changing instructions and constant pressure to recover time. People are
Whenever I stand in front of a construction audience, I know there will usually be a few people wondering what a mental health talk has
Helping construction, one conversation at a time.
Helping construction, one conversation at a time.
