You Can’t Do This Job and Be Distracted: An Interview with Elevator Constructor Wayne Mason

“You can’t do this job and be distracted,” says Wayne Mason, an International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Elevator Constructor from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who suffered a three-story fall early in his elevator career.

ElevatorInfo had the opportunity to sit down with Wayne as the Local 21 retiree spoke about the memorable day when he and his wife signed for their first home. What began as a very happy day became a horrific one when the elevator constructor got distracted and fell three stories into an elevator pit.

“When you’re dealing with the machinery, the heights, the heavy equipment, and you’re distracted and not fully focused on the job, that’s when bad things happen. In this business, there’s no room for distractions because your life depends on it,” he said.

Wayne emphasized that no worker should ever discount safety – if a person is distracted at their job, that individual is not doing the job correctly. When working in the elevator industry, a seemingly minor distraction can lead to a life-or-death situation.

“We want everyone who works in this business to be safe. This is a message to everybody that wants to get into this business: there’s no room for distractions; we want you to be focused on the job because your life depends on it.”