The family of a builder from Bristol who received brain damage and severe injuries after falling from a ladder are urging people to take care when doing DIY projects.
Scott Blankley, who’s 47, broke 11 ribs and suffered a brain bleed, lung and kidney damage after falling three storeys while painting an external wall on 17 January 2026.
Part of his skull was recently replaced with a metal plate after it had to be removed to allow for his brain swelling.
His brother Kai said although Scott worked in the building trade, doing a project at home may have meant he wasn’t thinking as seriously about his safety.
“This is what he does, day in day out. I guess at home you don’t take the same precautions, you probably skip a few steps,” he said.
“There was no one at the bottom of the ladder looking after it, he wasn’t attached to it. There are a few things he should have done that in hindsight probably could have saved him.”
Scott Blankley is still recovering after falling from a three-storey height earlier this year.
The No Falls Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing falls from height, has warned that the number of accidents linked to DIY is increasing.
More than 40,000 people were injured when falling from height last year at work, but the charity says this hides the “hidden crisis” of falls and near misses in the home.
“These type of accidents can happen in the blink of an eye,” said Hannah Williams from the No Falls Foundation.
“It could be somebody overreaching, or not using the right kind of equipment, but things can get quite serious quite quickly.”
As summer approaches, and people may attempt more DIY work in their homes, they advise people to think twice before getting started.
“Think about the task ahead, make sure that you’re competent to do it, make sure that you have the right equipment for that job, and don’t take unnecessary risks because things can go wrong very quickly,” Hannah said.
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