Leading law firm Slater and Gordon Lawyers has won significant compensation for a Victorian worker who suffered catastrophic burns in a preventable workplace explosion.
Scott O'Keefe was severely injured while operating an excavator at a Bendigo scrap yard after being directed to crush gas cylinders he was told were safe.
A cylinder exploded, engulfing Mr O'Keefe in flames and lifting a 30-tonne excavator off the ground, with the blast being recorded on seismic monitors and felt kilometres away.
Mr O'Keefe sustained burns to over 50 per cent of his body and spent more than three months in the Alfred Hospital, including time in an induced coma.
He has since undergone multiple surgeries and continues to live with the long-term physical and psychological impacts of his injuries nearly five years later.
Slater and Gordon secured a significant settlement for Scott O'Keefe, in addition to an impairment benefit and weekly payments.
Mr O'Keefe said he knew immediately that something had gone wrong.
"As soon as I put the grab of the excavator on the top of the gas cylinder, the gas came out like a white cloud. I knew exactly what was going to happen.
"The gas went underneath the excavator and exploded. It was a 30-tonne excavator, and from the CCTV footage I've seen, it lifted about two to two-and-a-half feet off the ground.
"It blew every inspection door off it, blew every window out of it, and the explosion blew me off my feet into a ball of fire."
Fleur Jackson, Slater and Gordon Senior Practice Leader in Workers' Compensation Law, said the incident was entirely preventable and highlighted serious failures in workplace safety.
"This was a catastrophic and completely preventable workplace incident that has had lifelong consequences for Scott."
"Every worker should come home safe from work and should trust safety systems are in place and functioning properly."
"Workers' compensation is not a bonus - it is an important safeguard that is there to support workers when their safety has been compromised."
The company responsible was later fined $52,250 and received a criminal conviction following prosecution by WorkSafe Victoria.
Ms Jackson said the outcome sends an important message about workers' compensation and accountability.
"Legal action like this plays a critical role in holding employers to account and reinforcing the importance of safety."
