Some say the news is all doom and gloom, and, for the most part, they’re right. People respond to controversy and negativity, but there is always room to highlight the positive things in the world. Throughout the year, we’ve compiled a list of positive stories that prove that construction workers aren’t just the cat-calling, hard headed men that we’re so often portrayed as.
If you know of any others, please share with us in the comments!
1. They Stop People from Being Killed
In November, the University of California, Merced Campus was under attack by a man wielding a knife. Four people were stabbed in the attack, and many say that Byron Price, a construction worker remodeling a waiting room at the college at the time, saved one of the victim’s lives. When he heard yelling, CBS news reports, he ran toward the commotion and when he got there, the suspect attacked him and ran away before being able to do anymore damage to the first victim. All four of the victims were treated at local hospitals and survived, but the suspect was later killed by police.
Here’s an interview with Price from NBC News:
2. They Save Kittens from Dumpsters
When construction worker Kelly Goranson heard some meowing coming from a nearby dumpster, he found a roughly six week out kitten that couldn’t move due to hardened paint and concrete. Goranson was then able to get enough concrete off of the kitten’s paws in order for little Kelly, the name given to the kitten, to walk again. She was then taken to a vet to be treated and is now with a foster family until a permanent home can be found.
News story from KVV 11 in Fargo North Dakota
3. They Help Their Neighbors in Need
Ken and Susan Sylianou, longtime restaurateurs in Michigan who fed thousands of needy people over the years. After a tree had fallen on their restaurant the previous spring, their roof had still not been fixed, which caused roof leaks and mold growth in the restroom. When Greg Tittle, owner of Tittle Construction, saw the damage, he couldn’t walk away from it. He completely remodeled the restroom for no charge.
Full story from The News-Herald: Construction company helps out well-known Flat Rock couple in need
4. They Stop People from Committing Suicide
After reportedly having an argument with her husband, a Chinese woman decided that she would end her life by jumping off a roof of a building. Just before she jumps, several construction workers grab her and pull her away from the ledge to safety. It gets a little intense, as she’s just dangling over the edge for a while as the workers try to pull her up. It’s an incredible video.
5. They Support Sick Children
A 2 year-old named Vivian in St. Louis was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia earlier this year. Every day, she would look out her hospital window and wave until one of the construction workers that were working on a renovation across the street would wave back. One day, Vivian didn’t have to wait for a wave back, when a couple of iron workers wrote her a note in a steel support beam. Sometimes little messages can make all the difference in the world.
Full story: Construction Workers' Sweet Note To Sick Tot Is The Strongest Support Beam | Huffington Post
6. They Help the Police Subdue a Suspected Larcenist
After a suspected larcenist tried to flee from a police officer, two Boston construction workers helped bring the man into custody. Ned Flood and Robert Doyle were later given an honor by the Boston Police Department for their heroics in the arrest. The arrest was captured on CCTV footage, which you can watch below:
Full Story: [VIDEO] Two Turner Construction Workers Help Boston PD Catch Crime Suspect
While still new in the construction industries, robots are typically designed to perform a specific task in a highly precise and efficient way, like the rebar tying robot, Tybot or the brick-laying robot Hadrian X. More recently, though, robots are being imagined as platforms for 3rd party companies to develop hardware and accessories to attach to the base robot, like the Boston Dynamics robotic dog, Spot. I recently came across a new robot, called Baubot, which hopes to one day perform tasks using every tool on a typical jobsite.