A father-of-two has spoken for the first time about how he dodged death after a sheet of glass sliced through his arm at work.
Mark Robbie, 35, of Mid Craigie, was rushed to Ninewells Hospital after the 6ft piece of glass pierced into his right arm, severing an artery on the way down to the bone.
The former Ravensby Glass worker has now launched legal action against the firm. It is believed he could win as much as £100,000 if his claim is successful.
Speaking of the incident, Mark said he had been taking the material off a frame and on to an air bed when he heard a crack.
As he looked up, Mark saw the huge sheet of glass coming straight for his face.
He said: “I thought ‘what do I do?’ So I put my arm up to protect my face. My first reaction was then to grab my arm because I knew it was bleeding and I shouted for help.
“I remember being in the medical room and they kept shouting at me to wake up and to stay with them. I was trying to laugh and joke but I was really scared.
“There was blood everywhere and they tried wrapping up my arm but blood was still coming out. I just tried to stay calm.”
And it was Mark’s composure that kept him alive.
He was rushed from West Pitkerro Industrial Estate to Ninewells Hospital where staff worked fast to repair the artery.
Once Mark was stable, doctors told him he had lost one-and-a-half litres of blood and if he hadn’t kept calm they said he wouldn’t be alive to tell the tale.
The following day, on February 5 last year, more than a dozen staples were used to hold his arm together and it was then that his long road to recovery began.
Mark has managed to get back partial mobility, although he states he still has two permanently numb fingers and takes pain relief.
Mentally, he says he has suffered too, with regular nightmares and a diagnosis of depression. He claims he will never be able to do manual labour again and Mark is now training to be a website designer.
Due to the ongoing pain, he says he hasn’t been fit enough to work and has taken a hit financially. He has now launched legal action against his former employers.
He said: “My life has changed forever. It’s not about the money, it’s about my health and the health of my family who have looked after me. My life will never be the same.”
Nicholas Cunningham, chairman of Ravensby Glass, said: “As the matter is sub judice, we have no further comment to make.”