As I fell through the air, time slowed and my mind froze. The only thought I had was “I am going to end up a paraplegic…”
You see, I was on a building site, on the upper level of a house under construction and I had stepped outside onto some scaffolding. The problem was, the plank I stepped onto wasn’t supported properly and it gave way.
The bad news was that I was now falling to the ground, back first. The good news was that I was falling back first (rather than face down) and that I landed on just about the only piece of clear site.
I hit the ground flat on my back with a scaffold bracket digging into my right shoulder. I was winded and stunned but otherwise seemed unhurt.
The ambulance came and after some happy drugs and a few hours in hospital I spent the next couple of days in bed.
Amazingly, apart from feeling winded and suffering some bruising, I was unharmed. But it could have been so much worse!
To be clear, I was not the builder on this project - but this means I should have been more vigilant. The reason I fell was that, at the time of that fateful step, I was distracted talking to my client - I should have been concentrating on where I was going.
So, my advice to you as an owner builder is to take safety seriously. Building sites are dangerous and safety management is your key responsibility. Ensure that you include all necessary safety measures and that they are correctly installed and maintained.
And keep your site tidy!
