A tradie who suffered horrific burns after a gas-fuelled torch blew up in his face is now investigating his old employer.
Khaileb Ziday, 27, had his equipment blow up while he was using it on the job at a worksite in Bendigo, Melbourne, on September 15, 2023.
Mr Ziday suffered second-degree burns while cutting down 230 steel posts using an oxy acetylene torch.
He was working for Solidity, a screw piling company which manufactures and installs steel poles used during the construction of building foundations, at the time.
Mid-way through the job Mr Ziday’s torch ran out of oxygen and while he was trying to replace the empty canister a fireball erupted and ‘blew out’ into him.
‘I felt a hot pain around my stomach, I thought I was on fire,’ he told 7News.
‘I literally pulled my shirt off which I thought was burning and the only thing I had on me still were my gloves. One of them was burnt from the fireball.’
An oxy acetylene torch uses oxygen and gas to weld or cut metals and can produce a red hot flame that burns at two thousand degrees Celsius.
Mr Ziday was rushed to hospital where he stayed for several days receiving treatment for his burns.
Even after being discharged he was required to wear burn bandages and padding for several more weeks.
Two months after the accident he had completely recovered but was left with lifelong scarring.
Mr Ziday initially continued to work for Solidity before he was terminated in June over problems with his hearing which he claims were made worse in the explosion.
Following his termination Mr Ziday hired Cedrick Rwabutozi from Shine Lawyers to investigate if there was any negligence on the worksite.
He claims Solidity did not follow proper safety procedures at the time of the accident and that management ignored safety concerns from other workers.
According to Mr Ziday workers wore gardening gloves instead of welding gloves and they were not supplied adequate goggles.
Only after his accident did Solidity update its safety procedures, Mr Ziday added.
‘If they’d [done] that sooner, I wouldn’t have as many burns,’ he said.
Mr Rwabutozi told the publication that his client was left both physically mentally scarred.
His investigation will seek to uncover if the equipment was in proper working condition, if there was a fault which caused the torch to explode and if Mr Ziday was provided with adequate safety equipment, and training.
The lawyer added that if the accident was due to negligence then his client will be ‘properly compensated’.
A Solidity spokesperson told the publication that it had co-operated with WorkSafe during its investigation and that the matter had been resolved.
They clarified that ‘Solidity has always been committed to the safety and welfare of all employees’ and that rigorous reviews had been employed to mitigate risks.
Daily Mail has contacted Solidity and Worksafe for comment.