Monster Mishaps: Workplace safety with Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein.

By Calissa Reid

Ah Halloween, that wonderful time of year when we get dressed up, eat way too much chocolate and have some fun with friends and family.  Halloween is also the busiest day of the year for some of our favourite classic monsters—Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy. Scaring humans is serious business for these guys. I recently had the opportunity to talk with these creepy creatures about their jobs and how they’ve learned the importance of staying safe even while being scary.

The guests of honour.

Heads Up: Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me; I know that this is a busy time of year for monsters.

The Mummy: No problem, I always love to meet new victims… I mean people.

Heads Up: Well, that’s comforting. Let’s change the subject. Tell me about your jobs—what does a regular day look like for Dracula?

Dracula: Actually, I am more of a night time monster, but I still work really hard. My job has a lot of draining activities. I am usually out stalking humans, avoiding garlic, you know, typical vampire stuff.

Heads Up: Fascinating! I’ve heard that each of you have had an incident while on the job; can you tell me more?

The Mummy: I had an accident on the job a few years back, when I was on display in a museum. I was working the night shift, chasing down the museum security guard and giving him a good fright, when he led me to an area of the museum outside of my usual scaring route. I knew I wasn’t authorized to enter this area, but I didn’t want to check in with my supervisor. I thought I could handle the situation by myself. Turns out, I entered the Discovery of Fire exhibit. My wrappings were coming loose and they ended up catching on fire. That night I learned the importance of listening to worksite safety regulations.

Frankenstein: I guess you could say, “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the museum!” Oh, I crack myself up.

The Mummy: Very funny, Frankenstein. Okay, wrap it up, tell us about your work injury.

Frankenstein: Distractions at work can do some serious damage. Trust me, I know. I was called in to work in the lab on one of my days off. I was annoyed because I was supposed to have a date that night, but I went in anyway. I was texting my date throughout my whole shift. Because I was distracted, I ended up combining two dangerous chemicals that caused an explosion. The loud boom damaged my hearing; it’s a lot harder to work and talk to the ladies with limited hearing!

Dracula: Your poor hearing isn’t an excuse for bad jokes, Frankenstein. My accident at work was big news in the monster world. I was hunting a human one night, when my cape ended up caught in her car door. Luckily, I turned into a bat and escaped, or I would have been in rough shape. Work uniforms are now under review by the monster safety council. Although I do like my cape, I know that wearing the wrong gear for the job can lead to injury.

Heads Up: Wow! You guys know a lot about workplace safety. I hope you continue to work smart and work safe. Thanks again for meeting with me.

Dracula: You’re welcome! I’ll stalk… I mean talk to you later!

Happy Halloween from the Heads Up team!