Jason Anker was 24 years old when he suffered a life-changing fall from height. He describes the extensive physical and emotional repercussions
On 3 January 1993, I was 24 years old. I was married with a couple of young children. I was working as a labourer in construction for my father-in-law’s small roofing company.
It was the first day back after the Christmas holidays. My morale was low. We were asked if we could try to fix a leaking roof on another building.
We were eager to please the client, but the work was unplanned. After finishing the job, I went down an unsupported ladder, which slipped. I fell 10ft (3m).
In hospital, I received the devastating news that I would never walk again. I spent four months in a spinal rehabilitation centre in Sheffield and learned how to live in a wheelchair.
“We were eager to please the client, but the work was unplanned. After finishing the job, I went down an unsupported ladder, which slipped.”
I came home from hospital on 25 April 1993 and my wife left the next day, taking my two children. It was during the early 1990s recession and we were having marriage problems before that. It had a massive impact on my already poor emotional state.
Out of control
I didn’t know how to speak about how I was feeling. I was drinking quite heavily at the time and I moved on to taking ecstasy. It wasn’t to have an enjoyable time – I just couldn’t cope.
Things rapidly fell out of control. In January 1995, I had an unintentional drug overdose. It put me in a coma. After a five-month recovery, I found I now couldn’t move my arms properly.
My daughter came back to try to help give me some focus. I battled through life. But I was still battling a number of demons.
In 2007, I finally got offered £408,000 in compensation. In 2008, I had a chance meeting with a guy called Dan Terry, who worked in behavioural safety. He suggested I start sharing my story with industry. Dan set me on a path to talking more openly about the impact that safety failing on 3 January 1993 has had on my life and my family.
On that day, I was in a bad place. I realised the job I was being asked to do was unsafe. I stopped, I thought about it, and I still did it.
When people are under pressure, they use equipment incorrectly. Management also needs to understand this. If you have a mental health issue, and are in a similar situation, speak up before something terrible happens.
Jason Anker is a speaker on behavioural safety training and a patron of the No Falls Foundation.
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So sorry to hear this. I’m in roofing/cladding management, but have worked on the tools with the boys on and off. Had a few slightly dodgy moments – fragile roofs, scaffold issues, but know of many more bad stories, colleagues injured, deaths, terrible injuries, accounts given by people who have suffered similar to you given in company conferences to get the message over to us about working at height and planning the jobs etc. but your story is worse than most!
I hope you’re in a better place – think you are and I wish you well.