Michael Goodall, a 31-year-old plumber from Leeds, is joining forces with Arco to highlight the importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) after a grinder left him with a cut down his face, a shattered eye socket and cheek bone and limited vision in one eye.
Michael, who owns iPlumb, was cutting the last metre of tarmac needed to bury a cable when the grinder he was operating shattered and hit his face – leaving him “looking like a monster”, unable to see out of one eye, and lodging a piece of metal in his safety glasses.
Michael usually wears safety boots, gloves and sunglasses while working. However, on this day, his colleague Paul lent him safety glasses from Arco, which Michael claims saved his eye and his life.
Michael said, “It was so quick, there was no warning that it was going to break and I couldn’t dodge it, but when it hit my face it felt like my whole skeleton shook. I immediately knew it was serious. There was a lot of thick blood and I couldn’t see out of my right eye. My colleague, Paul, ran over with a cloth and applied pressure while calling an ambulance. I waited just six-minutes for it to arrive, but it felt like the longest six-minutes of my life.”
Wearing the correct protection for the job he was doing could have protected Michael from the injuries he received, and could have safeguarded him from more serious and life-changing injuries too. Michael and Arco are raising awareness of the importance of wearing the correct safety gear at all times, to help avoid the 9,000 workplace accidents that happen each year.
“Before the accident, I knew very little about what level of protection I needed, and I’m not alone in that. For instance, few people know about categories for rating the level of protection given by PPE, like protective eyewear. I didn’t know the safety glasses I was wearing were rated F, which is the lowest rating, so they weren’t suitable for the job at all. You need a lot better protection, such as a Grade A High Energy Impact Full-Face Visor, for grinding.
“But because of this, I thought the safety glasses were enough. I now know they don’t protect you from injury. However, if I hadn’t had those Arco glasses on, I wouldn’t have an eye and the force of the blade could have gone into my brain – I could have died. Paul and those glasses saved my life. But I should have been better equipped.”
After the accident, Michael shared his story on social media to help raise awareness and thanked Arco for the safety glasses that had saved his life. Arco was touched by his story and concerned he didn’t have the correct protective safety kit, so decided to take action.
Claire Langley, Sector Marketing Manager at Arco, said: “Accidents like Michael’s are all too common. Few workers are aware of the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to ensure they can work safely and effectively. Every year 71,062 work-related injuries are reported and 9,000 are directly related to PPE.”
Michael said: “After hearing of the accident, Arco invited me to the Leeds branch and the team were really helpful. They gave me information, told me what Personal Protective Equipment is out there and informed me about the full-face grind mask, which could have prevented my injuries.
“It’s been really good for me that Arco was there to talk to and the team has been compassionate and so helpful. I didn’t really know what I was meant to wear before speaking with the Arco team, I’d never even seen a full-face grinding mask before. Now, I’m fully kitted-out with new work wear, a full-face mask and new boots.”
Michael underwent several operations to fix the damage to his face and eye, including a three-hour operation after the accident, but the after-effects left him with low self-confidence.
“When I came out of surgery my face was really swollen. After two weeks, the swelling started to go down and I was able to open my eye, but everything was white due to a protective cataract that had formed, meaning I needed more surgery. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to see again and it was really getting me down. I didn’t want to go out and I didn’t want anyone to see me. I felt quite self-conscious. I get married in a couple of years, and I couldn’t see and had a scar down my face, it was devastating for everyone. My daughters are four and six and I looked like a monster – that’s taken some time to get over.”
Now, determined to make a difference, Michael is teaming up with Arco to spread the safety message and ensure no one has to go through the same experience.
Michael said: “In anything you’re going to do, think – what is the worst possible outcome? If it’s something you definitely don’t want to happen, then make sure it’s not going to happen. Take the right precautions, don’t rush and don’t cut corners.
“By sharing my story, I want people to see what could happen if you don’t wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment. All it takes is a little time to talk to Arco and get the right equipment, otherwise it could ruin your life, or worse – you could be dead. It’s easy to just want to get the job finished. But, at the end of the day, get home to your partner, your kids – just get home safe. There’s always tomorrow to finish it. Just be safe.”
Thank you to @ArcoSafety for saving my eyesight with your safety glasses.If your watching this please use the correct ppe you never think it will happen to you.
Big thanks to @pbplumber for sharing this important message and thanks to everyone for your support.#SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/dJmfXZLHtc
— iPlumb Leeds (@Leeds_Plumber) July 19, 2019
