Jez's story - Hard Hat Awareness Week 2026

A former military medic whose head became trapped under a dumper truck wheel while on a construction job says wearing a hard hat saved his life.

Jez Stevens, from East Sussex, sustained a traumatic brain injury and was left in a coma for three months after the ‘one in a million’ accident in September 2018.

The dad-of-four had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of three- the lowest possible score, indicating severe neurological impairment– and had a number of injuries to his brain, the most significant being a subdural haemorrhage, a bleed around the edge of the brain.

Jez, 51, is sharing his story with Headway UK to mark Hard Hat Awareness Week; an annual campaign which seeks to raise awareness of industrial brain injuries.

Now it’s sixth year, the campaign, which takes place from June 8 - 14, aims to educate on the impact of head injuries, the importance of wearing hard hats and promoting best practices around safety equipment.

While on leave from the Middle East, Jez took on extra work with a builder constructing a swimming pool to help pay for increasing bills.

Jez was driving a mechanical dumper full of materials down a slope into the empty pool when a loose rock caused the wheel to go over the edge.

Jez said:

“My head basically became the break; I was trapped.”

Jez was based with Joint Helicopter Command at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire and worked with Puma and Chinook helicopters as well as being a crash team medic for Apache helicopters.

He said he ironically found himself becoming ‘the casualty’ as he was airlifted by Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) to Kings College Trauma Centre.

The Health and Safety Executive (H.S.E) carried out an inquiry and their final assessment found that all safety precautions had been taken, and it was a one in a million chance of the incident ever happening.

Jez said: “The health and safety on the job was so stringent- I was wearing a hard hat and had my seatbelt on.

“I was so adamant about doing everything by the book- I think that stems from my military background – but thank goodness I did, because I’m still here today.

“It could have been so much worse.”

Now Jez is sharing his story to highlight the importance of wearing a hard hat.

He said: “I would stress how important it is to those working on building sites to follow the safety rules and always wear your hard hat.

Jez is also determined to raise awareness of brain injury and the impact of recovery.

He said: “I had two craniotomies and went to various hospitals and rehabilitation centres. I spent two years on crutches because I couldn’t walk.

“I lost my house, my car and my job; I couldn’t drive due to my injury and had to retire from the military on medical grounds. Basically overnight, I lost everything.

“The hardest aspect I had to get to grips with was the fact that I was a medic on a helicopter in the military- going to help injured or sick people- and then I became the casualty. What are the chances of that? I was in the army and military and now I’m disabled and it’s really hard for me to accept that.

“At the time it was horrendous. To be honest, I didn’t want to carry on.

“But now, I’ve connected with so many different people- brain injury and serious trauma survivors, as well as veterans – and now I think I’m really lucky.

“I’ve been given a chance to try and make a difference- that’s why I dedicate time and do as much as I can do with volunteering and raising awareness.

“I want to share my experience to help others.”

Colin Morris, Director of Communications at Headway UK, said: “Jez has bravely shared his harrowing experience to help highlight Hard Hat Awareness Week 2026 and the importance of wearing a hard hat.

“We want to remind those working in the construction industry about the importance of wearing hard hats and taking any impact to the head seriously.

“If you experience a knock to the head at work, please take time to stop working, report the incident and recover fully before returning to work.” Visit www.hardhatawarenessweek.com for more information and how to support the campaign.