TAYLORSVILLE, Ky. — After losing both of his arms in a workplace accident, a Taylorsville man is using his own experience to promote safety in the workplace.
A welder by trade for over 20 years, Billy Parker had thought he found his profession but all of that changed in Jan. 23 2007, when Parker nearly lost his life.
“I pretty much just took a short cut at work, I tried to clean a machine out while it was still running instead of using lock out, tag out like I should've done, as a result in a matter of seconds I got caught and it took both of my arms above the elbow,” Parker said.
After becoming a bilateral amputee, Parker was fitted with his own set of myoelectric arms thanks to One Call, the nation's leading provider of solutions to workers’ compensation.
“They really didn't want me to leave rehab until I was able to pick an egg up with one arm, crack it in a bowl with no shell and they let me leave. I said give me that egg I was ready to get out of there,” Parker said.
Parker spent 21 days in rehab and is now using his own experience to promote safety awareness in the workplace by using his humor and determination like hitting the gym four days a week at 5 a.m. to show anyone if there's a will, there's a way.
“It's been an amazing thing to be able to train him the way that he does, like I said he never says I can't, he's never looked at something and thought no disbelief in himself, he's had all the confidence in the gym anyone could ever ask for,” Adam Phillips, owner of AP Fitness said.
After Parker’s brother convinced him to tell his story at his work, he perfected his presentation and it’s now his full-time job.
Lending a Hand LLC is Parker's full time job. He travels across the country sharing his story to different businesses and corporations. He has had more than 200 presentations for various companies.
“My safety presentation, everybody comes in there, you get some of those big ol boys up there with their hands crossed like they don't have a care in the world and by the time I'm done, there over there giving me hugs and shaking my hand and crying,” Parker said.
Hoping that his presntations prevent a workplace accident and encourages others to be cautious.
“It fills my heart to do it, knowing that it's working,” Parker said “I kind of had my doubts in the beginning that the story may not come out right but as long as I’m truthful, I speak from my heart and I just don't want this to happen to anyone else.”
His presentations have paid off, Parker said after spending a week at a steel mill and after sharing his story, the mill didn't have a safety incident for three months.
Parker also volunteers as a personal assistant showing other amputees how to use their new prosthesis and was a recipient of the 2018 Comp Laude award for injured worker.
If interested in having Parker speak to your group, you can email him.