Westbury window cleaner Jason Knight, who survived a devastating 33,000-volt electric shock last year, has presented two cheques of £5,000 each to Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance and the Southmead Hospital Charity following a major fundraising campaign.
Jason, who lost his left forearm and several toes in the incident, said he wanted to give something back to the people and organisations that saved his life.
“From the very start, I said I wanted 10% of the fundraising to go to the air ambulance and Southmead as my way of saying thank you for saving me,” he said. “I owe my life to the air ambulance crew and the amazing surgeons and staff at Southmead so it means a huge amount to me to be able to hand over these cheques.”
The donations come from a community fundraising drive that has so far raised more than £50,000 to support Jason and his young family. He says giving back to charity has given him a sense of purpose. “Fundraising is now something I want to continue year on year – it’s another way I can turn something tragic into something positive,” he added.
Alongside fundraising, Jason has been campaigning tirelessly for change in the window cleaning industry after his accident highlighted what he calls a ‘gaping hole’ in health and safety regulations. Jason, a dad of three, was electrocuted in April 2024 when a 33,000-volt charge ‘flashed over’ from an overhead power cable to his window cleaning pole.
Currently, anyone can buy water-fed poles and equipment without training, and there are no industry-wide safety regulations in place. Jason is working with manufacturers, industry bodies and MPs to push for a new set of standards that would make insulated poles and protective equipment mandatory.
“The industry is changing through awareness, but without legislation or manufacturers creating an industry standard, lives are still at risk,” he explained.
“Currently the Health and Safety Executive feel that the current guidance does enough to highlight the risks of using window cleaning equipment near overhead power lines – but how many people have to be killed or seriously injured before action is taken? One should be too many.”
Jason has already spoken with manufacturers who are starting to adapt their equipment, but his ultimate goal is a formal British Standard to protect workers nationwide. He has also been invited to industry conventions in both the UK and the US, where he will continue to share his story and campaign for reform.
Despite ongoing surgeries and rehabilitation, Jason says his mission keeps him focused. “What I’ve been through, and what my family has been through, is unimaginable. But if I can help prevent this from happening to someone else, then I’ve done my job. This is my way of giving back.”
Jason spent three and half months in Southmead Hospital before being able to return home to his young family. The fundraising campaign has allowed him to fit a stairlift and other necessary home improvements and purchase an electric wheelchair and mechanical chair and bed. He has undergone several major surgeries with the latest just last month and has had a prosthetic arm fitted.
For more details, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/jasons-rehabilitation
Pictured: Jason handing over the cheques last month to Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance and Southmead Hospital Charity.
