WorkSafe Victoria | A metal fabrication company has been fined $30,000 after a 17-year-old apprentice suffered horrific burns when his clothes caught fire while welding.
CND Contractors Pty Ltd was sentenced in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work, and one charge of failing to provide workers with necessary supervision.
The company was fined without conviction and ordered to pay costs of $4,365.
In October 2023, the first-year apprentice was fabricating a metal footing cage when sparks from the welding process ignited his clothing.
After realising he was on fire, the apprentice ran outside and attempted to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground but was unsuccessful. Still alight, he ran back inside and shouted for help before co-workers used a hose to put out the flames.
The teenager was airlifted to Melbourne and spent a month in hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries including skin grafts to his stomach, chest, upper arms, neck, back, buttocks, and hips. He continues to suffer both emotionally and physically from widespread scarring, including mobility issues and tightness in his chest.
At the time of the incident, the apprentice was wearing a welding helmet, a long sleeve shirt and a branded hoodie supplied by CND. He had supplied the rest of his clothing himself, including leather gauntlets which protected his hands and forearms from the fire.
A WorkSafe investigation found that the hoodie, which was a blend of cotton and polyester, did not offer sufficient protection for welding. It was further revealed that CND did not implement and enforce a clothing policy or requirements for sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), and did not offer the apprentice a leather apron, leather clothing or a full boiler suit.
CND admitted it was reasonably practicable to have implemented a system of work that enforced appropriate PPE, and to have provided supervision to manage the risks associated with welding and ensure workers used the PPE supplied.
The court heard that a month before the incident, the same apprentice’s hoodie had been burned during another welding task, damaging the front pocket.
