7 YEARS OF GRIEVING: MS WESTERNMAN PUSHES FOR WORKPLACE SAFETY

BY MEGAN BOYCE & TANGIORA HINAKI

Sharon Western. Credit: Supplied

Nyamal woman, Sharon Westerman lost her beloved son Lee Buzzard in a mining incident on the 19th June 2016.

Ms Westerman has been lobbying the state government for safer work places since then.

“Remember workplace safety is not something that just happens, it's an effort that everyone needs to contribute to,” she said.

“Put workers first before anything, workers safety, workers lives first.”

Ms Westerman said by improving safety systems on site and reinforcing more training will prevent other families from going through what her family has had to go through.

“You have the road safety campaign on TV all the time, some good advertisements running at the moment which show it could happen to you. I think that's the sort of approach we need,” she said.

“We need to ensure that machines and equipment that's on any work site is fit for purpose and the specific training for young people indigenous people. Things like the fatigue management and really thorough investigation so it can learn the lessons.”

Ms Westerman started a foundation in honor of her son called the Lee Buzzard Foundation. The Foundation supports families, like her own that have had to go through a similar devastating experience.

“There's no specific funds while they go through a six to seven year battle even to see things reach the conclusion of legal proceedings to see investigations finish. Meanwhile, the families are trying to deal with their own grief and navigate their way through all these complexities,” she said.

“There's nothing really to support those families.”

Listen to the full interview: