Rob had been clearing contamination from a rubble skip, all the stuff that was not supposed to be in that skip, when he cut his arm.
Team Leader Nathan Tanton was on duty. "I heard Rob screaming, there was only the two of us on duty that day. It was lucky I was in the area at that time, I could have been some distance away.
"It was nasty. Blood was squirting out everywhere and all over the floor, it was an arterial bleed," said Nathan.
"I compressed the cut and gave first aid. The bandages in our first aid kit were too small but I had a spare pair of long johns here and used those, they were long enough to compress the wound.
"Luckily there were a couple of lorry drivers who helped with the gate and to try to keep the public out and a blood nurse, Lisa, came over to help, so grateful to them all," added Nathan.
"The First Response ambulance car took half an hour to get here and it was 45 minutes before the ambulance came and took Rob to hospital where he had surgery to repair the tendons and arteries.
"He still hasn’t got full use of his hand and was off work for some time," added Nathan. It took Nathan at least a couple of days to get over the shock which has never really left him. I just did what I could he said."
Nathan received a Recycle Devon Thank You award at Devon County Hall last month.
He has been at the Punchbowl since 2012. Nathan lives at Fordton with his wife and four children.