Farmer warns of risks in daily routine
Matt smashed concrete floor in fall from roof
A Strathaven farmer has recalled an accident in which he was almost left paralysed.
Dairy farmer Matt Brown was trying to fix a damaged shed roof at Whitecraigs Farm, between Glassford and Strathaven, during a storm two years ago.
Normally he would have used a loader bucket on his tractor, which is adapted to ensure safe working at heights.
However, he was in a hurry to get the job done and was raised in an ordinary loader bucket when he was hit by a falling beam.
He fell seven feet, smashing the concrete below and leaving him with two fractured vertebrae.
The damage was lasting as Matt has no use of two of his arm muscles and is still receiving physiotherapy for his shoulder pain.
“I found myself sitting against the wall,” he said. “I started to assess what I could and couldn’t move.
“I had shooting pain down my back and could move my left side but could barely move my right arm.
“Not trying to get up or moving probably saved further damage.
“My son ran to get my wife to phone an ambulance. It wasn’t long before the police arrived, followed by ambulance crews and the air ambulance with doctors from the Southern General in Glasgow.
“Because I was still conscious and could move, as far as they were concerned, they took me by ambulance to Hairmyres Hospital.
“A CT scan revealed that I’d fractured the C5 and C6 vertebrae. That’s when panic set in.
“I got strapped to a bed on the Friday afternoon and had to lie still until the Monday.
“I had an MRI scan then an operation on the Wednesday to fuse the vertebrae together, taking bone marrow from my hip.
“One of the surgeons, who I knew, told me I was lucky to be alive and also not to be paralysed.”
A fifth generation farmer, Matt milks 90 cows on the 160-acre farm and farms 90 acres of cereals with his wife Wilma and their family.
He said: “I was off work for around six months and couldn’t drive for three as I had been fitted with a neck brace.
“Generally the impact on the business was minimised, however, as I was covered under my insurance. This allowed us to take on a relief milker. Family, friends and neighbours all rallied round to assist.
“The impact of an accident on those around you can sometimes be underestimated.”
Matt has thought about what he could have done better on the day and how he has moved forward with his work.
He said: “The annoying thing is that I have a specific bucket that has been modified to make working at height safer but I didn’t use it on this occasion.
“This could have prevented my fall but I was in such a hurry to get the job done.
“Since the accident if I’m working at heights I use a snap safety line and carry out a risk assessment.”
One of the surgeons told me I was lucky to be alive and also not to be paralysed