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A worker from a waste and recycling company was taken to the burns unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea yesterday after he was engulfed by a fireball.

The incident happened at Bryn Group’s Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm near Gelligaer, just before 4pm on Wednesday, August 31.

According to a statement on the company’s website the employee was carrying out routine maintenance at one of the firm’s biomass buildings when an “unexplained ignition” caused a fireball.

The fire was put out and did not spread to any other building.

The company processes and recycles green waste and food waste, and other types, in addition to having an aggregates business through its quarry.

According to the company the worker was treated immediately by on-site first aiders before the Wales Air Ambulance was called. He was then taken to Swansea’s specialist burns unit at Morriston Hospital via road ambulance.

In its statement he company said: “The injured colleague is experienced and had conducted that same maintenance task countless times before. Both the Health and Safety Executive and Natural Resources Wales have been notified, and we will participate fully in a thorough investigation.

“Our staff are trained and, in many cases, certified in the tasks they undertake. That is why Bryn Group enjoys a good health and safety record, and why we have never before had a serious incident like this. We are keen to find out what happened…and to ensure it cannot happen again.

“We would like to praise and thank our on-site first aiders and the emergency services crews who attended today. Their efforts made a huge difference to our colleague, who remains in hospital but is doing well. We send him our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery.”

A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue said the fire was out before crews from Aberbargoed got to the farm. Firefighters then monitored hotspots and secured the area.

They added: “The suspected cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.”