Company faces $30k fine after apprentice catches on fire

A metal fabrication company has been fined after a 17-year-old apprentice suffered life-changing injuries when his clothing caught fire while welding at a factory.

A Victorian metal fabrication company has been fined after a first-year apprentice suffered burns when his clothing caught fire during a welding incident.

CND Contractors was sentenced in the Shepparton Magistrates Court last Wednesday (13 August), after pleading guilty to two WorkSafe charges: one for failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work, and another for failing to provide workers with adequate supervision.

The company was fined $30,000 without conviction and ordered to pay court costs of $4,365.

According to WorkSafe, the incident occurred in October 2023, when the 17-year-old apprentice was fabricating a metal footing cage and suffered burns when sparks from the welding process ignited his clothing.

After realising his clothing had caught fire, the apprentice initially tried to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground. When that failed, he ran inside to call for help, and co-workers eventually managed to put out the fire using a hose.

The teenager was then airlifted to Melbourne, where WorkSafe reported he spent a month in hospital undergoing multiple surgeries, including extensive “skin grafts to his stomach, chest, upper arms, neck, back, buttocks and hips”.

Since the surgeries, it was reported that he continues to experience both physical and emotional consequences from the incident, including scarring, reduced mobility, and tightness in his chest.

During the accident, the apprentice was wearing a welding helmet, a long-sleeve shirt, and a company-provided hoodie, while his hands and forearms were protected by leather gauntlets he had brought himself.

A WorkSafe investigation found that CND Contractors “did not provide adequate protection for welding” and had failed to establish a clothing policy or supply sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a leather apron or full boiler suit, which could have prevented or reduced the severity of the apprentice’s injuries.

The court also heard that the same hoodie had caught fire during a welding task a month earlier, before the incident.

WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin described the company’s inaction as unacceptable, emphasising that CND Contractors would have been aware of the risks that led to the 17-year-old’s severe injuries.

“The company clearly knew the risks associated with welding tasks and yet failed to enforce proper PPE or provide supervision, leaving a young man just a few months into his career with life-changing injuries,” Jenkin said.

“It’s heartbreaking knowing how easily this incident and the horrible consequences could have been prevented.”

Jenkin added: “Employers have a duty to protect all workers from harm, and that duty is particularly significant for young apprentices, who are often relying on their employer’s experience and judgment to keep them safe.”