Tradie reveals the small act that 'saved his life' when he was engulfed in a freak workplace explosion that left him with burns to two-thirds of his body

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 09:46, 10 May 2026 | Updated: 09:50, 10 May 2026 A scrap metal worker who survived being burnt alive in a freak workplace explosion called for better safety regulations while living with the daily pains from his incident. Scott O'Keefe was working at the Omega Metal Recycling yard in Bendigo, regional Victoria, when he was horrifically burned in September 2020. Mr O'Keefe was using a 30-tonne excavator to move gas cylinders that were marked empty with a large neon 'X'. However, when the machine's claw pierced one of the cylinders it began leaking gas and exploded into a huge fireball. The explosion could be felt from 7km away and it engulfed Mr O'Keefe in flames. The father-of-three was thrown to the ground and he hurried to the closest tap while the fire 'melted' his skin, but he wasn't able to turn it on. A worker at a neighbouring business rushed to help Mr O'Keefe and poured water over him until paramedics arrived at the scene. Mr O'Keefe told News.com.au he had two green whistles and an injection but was still in unimaginable pain. Scott O'Keefe (above) was set alight in an explosion at Omega Metal Recycling yard in Bendigo in September 2020 Mr O'Keefe (above) still suffers daily pain after suffering burns to 76 per cent of his body He suffered burns to 76 per cent of his body, including his face, and spent three months in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, including two weeks in an induced coma. There was one surprising thing that kept him alive during the explosion: he held his breath. Doctors said his airways were spared the worst of the damage from the simple action, advice which Mr O'Keefe remembered from the TV - not from his safety training. 'It's nothing that I've been taught but I remember years and years and years ago watching a documentary or a news story,' he said. 'A bloke was seriously burnt and the only thing that saved his life at the time was that it didn't damage his airways. 'The minute I jumped out, that was the first thing that popped into my head. Hold your breath. I don't know why or how that happened.' Mr O'Keefe still lives with daily pain from his severe injuries but is motivated to keep going by his loving partner, Taylor, and their two children. The couple are currently expecting their third child.  His compensation lawyer, Fleur Jackson from Slater and Gordon, found basic safety systems were not in place when Mr O'Keefe was injured. Mr O'Keefe was burned after a gas cylinder was mislabelled as empty, causing an explosion (above) The father-of-three spent three months in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital recovering from his injuries (above) He received compensation for his pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings and loss of earning capacity. All his medical expenses were also covered.  'It's significant, it's debilitating. He's a young person who has a young family and is restricted in what he can do now. Even a few degrees drop in temperature has a massive impact on Scott,' Ms Jackson said of Mr O'Keefe's injuries. WorkSafe Victoria fined Omega Metal Recyclers more than $50,000 for unsafe practices following the 2020 explosion. Mr O'Keefe hopes his devastating story is a lesson for workplaces to follow safety protocols to prevent serious injuries. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.