Hull man who almost died in work accident calls for better health and safety

A third of people in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire don't feel their employer has the right health and safety procedures in place.

Published 10th Jun 2016

A Hull man who almost died in an accident at work is calling for better health and safety laws in the workplace as a third of people here don't feel their employer has the necessary standards in place.

32-year-old Matthew Burke suffered life changing injuries after falling 10ft from a ladder while working as a scaffolder four years ago.

He'd been lifting heavy materials at the time which broke health and safety regulations meaning he received a six-figure compensation settlement.

But despite 40% of people here knowing someone who's been in a workplace accident - half of people say they fear taking action against their employer.

Matthew Burke says he's still suffering with the injuries he sustained and wants more to be done. He told us:

"I was in hospital for a month and in intensive care and can't remember the first week following the incident at all. I was left with sensitive eyesight, my taste and smell had gone, short-term memory loss. I had to learn to walk and talk again and it was a very traumatic experience not just for me but for my family too.

"I feel incredibly lucky to be alive as the doctors put it down to on a scale of 1 being dead and 15 being normal and they said I was down to a 3 so I really was close to death's door and I am lucky to be here.

"My short-term memory loss still plays up, my taste and smell is slowly but surely coming back and my eyesight varies. I had to move back to my parents' home as they had to care for me for a year and a half following the accident."