Tom Peers helps save the life of a colleague

On 1 October, Tom Peers, SHEmanager at Project ONE, helped save someone’s life by acting quickly and decisively. Although he does not want to call himself a hero, his act is an example of how important first aid skills can be.

On 1 October, Tom Peers was working in his office at INEOS Project ONE. Suddenly, an employee of Técnicas Reunidas, one of the contractor companies working at the site, came to say that his colleague had fallen inside his office further down the corridor. Tom did not hesitate for a moment and rushed there, while another colleague called the emergency services.

On arrival, he saw that the man was losing consciousness. Tom, trained as a certified emergency worker and diving instructor, immediately took charge. He began CPR, a decision he did not take lightly despite his training: ‘You have to assess very quickly what is going on and what needs to be done. The hardest step is deciding whether CPR is really necessary’.

Within minutes, Falck emergency services, who are always present at the Project ONE site, arrived. They took over CPR and used a defibrillator to restore heartbeat. Thanks to the quick and effective cooperation of Tom and the emergency services, the man was breathing independently again before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Tom’s experience and composure in this emergency situation were crucial. ‘No one knows beforehand how they are going to react in a real emergency, but you can make sure you are prepared,’ says Tom. ‘That’s why it’s important to be able to fall back on training and automatisms.’

Recently, Tom was honoured for his action by Project ONE CEO John McNally and the team. On that occasion, the Técnicas Reunidas colleague also spoke briefly to Tom via Teams and expressed his gratitude on behalf of himself and his family. ‘For me, that is the best gift: seeing that he is doing well,’ Tom explained. ‘He says he will return to the site early 2025. I look forward to seeing him again. That too will probably be an emotional moment for both of us.’

CEO John McNally: ‘I have never presented anyone with an award for saving someone’s life and of course I hope it will never be needed again, but Tom’s actions have really made a difference here. We are proud that he acted so decisively and quickly when it was needed.’

In April, Tom was a guest on Radio Project ONE: listen to the full interview and discover Tom’s tips for CPR below the video.