2015 Fall Protection Essay Scholarship Winner: Vanina Morrison

The winner of the 2015 Rigid Lifelines® Fall Protection Essay Contest and the $1,000 scholarship toward further education is Vanina Morrison from Montezuma, New Mexico. Her essay explains that falls have remained the number two cause of accidental death in the workplace for the past 10 years because of unsafe conditions, under-reporting of those conditions, and inadequate solutions to limit the negligence that causes those conditions. To reduce fall fatalities in the workplace, she recommends that organizations create a transparent atmosphere that allows employees to report unsafe behavior and/or conditions to their employers. She also recommends that fall protection standards include regulations for part-time, temporary, or independent contractors, and OSHA should increase fines in the construction industry.

This topic intrigues Vanina because of the horrible standards she witnessed while growing up in Jamaica. She said that the poor working conditions and lack of safety regulations resulted in many injuries. She also said that not only are these injuries easily preventable, but the injured workers are unable to afford treatment and, in turn, do not have enough money to provide for their families. For these reasons, Vanina believes that everyone should be aware of fall protection, especially workers and employers in third-world countries.

Vanina will be attending Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Although she has not decided exactly what she will study, she is thinking about studying biology with an emphasis in genetics. She said that she has always had an interest in human biology, and that no matter what she studies, she wants her work to benefit people around her. She wants the opportunity to help others who could not receive help otherwise.

Vanina’s extra-curricular activities include working at an animal shelter where she walks and feeds the dogs and helps with donations. She also volunteers at a facility for young boys between the ages of 12 and 17. She said that these boys are receiving treatment because traumatic experiences affected their behavior and social skills. Vanina and four others from her school go into the center once a week to play games and talk to these boys to get their mind off of treatment and their circumstances.

Vanina’s favorite hobbies are tennis and dancing. Vanina said that she enjoys all kinds of dancing from ballet to modern. In fact, Vanina even started an Afro-Caribbean dance club at her school.

Vanina would like to thank her mom for always being there for her and pushing her to do her best. She would also like to thank her older brother for all of his helpful advice throughout the years and for always listening to her.

Rigid Lifelines® would like to thank Vanina for participating in the 2015 Rigid Lifelines Fall Protection Essay Scholarship. We would like to congratulate Vanina for her achievements, both academic and social. Rigid Lifelines® wishes Vanina the best of luck at Brown University as she continues to impact the people and the world around her.