Man impales leg on metal spike
A man is seeking the help of an injury lawyer after having his leg impaled on a metal spike.
The 57 year old site inspector from Glenfield, had been surveying an old factory in Oakham on Tuesday when a piece of metal embedded in a concrete floor pierced his leg above his ankle and shot out through the other side.
Because the shrapnel was fixed to the concrete ground, the fire service was called to the scene and the man was finally cut free.
The fire service workers underwent a number of problems during the process trying to ensure the vibrations caused by the cutter didn't harm the man as the metal rod was close to an artery.
Emergency staff administered oxygen to the man in order to ease the pain.
The man said: "The area was overgrown with weeds and it was sticking out about four or five feet.
"I stumbled across it and the metal rod went into my shin. I fell on to it and with 18 stone going on to it, it buried itself into my leg. I was going to pull it out, but I'm glad I didn't because they told me later it was close to an artery.
"I bent it up into the air so that I could stand up. It missed all my arteries, veins and tendons, so I think I was lucky that way."
The Health and Safety Executive has criticised the firm stating that it suspects that the firm had failed to take adequate risk assessments which resulted in the man to impale his foot.
Updated on 28/08/2009