Accidents & Safety
I’ve been concerned about safely working with wind energy since 1976 when I nearly killed myself taking down a 1930s-era windcharger. While wind energy is an environmentally beneficial technology–and that’s the reason we need to use it–it can and has killed. Consequently, I’ve been tracking fatal accidents in wind energy since I wrote an obituary for a colleague, Terry Mehrkam, in 1981. For this reason, my books on wind energy have always included a section on safety.
The Mechanicsville Monster: How NOT to handle wind turbine end of life
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External Source
It’s past time for the wind industry to send Godzilla back to the depth of the oceans for a long sleep. That can only occur if industry sets new standards for itself. No more poorly maintained turbines. No more abandoned wind sites. And if a site must come down, funds and a plan must be in place to clean it up. Properly. Sayonara, Godzilla!
Man dies after being crushed by turbine blade at Australia’s biggest wind project
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External Source
A worker has died after being crushed by a turbine blade at Australia’s biggest wind project, the Golden Plains wind farm in Victoria, with emergency services called to the site at Rokewood just after 8am on Monday. Police confirmed the man was working at the wind farm on Bells Road when he was crushed beneath a “fan blade” shortly after 8am. First responders attempted to revive the man, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Wind turbine accidents with planes rare
By
External Source
Accidents involving wind turbines and airplanes are few and far between, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s online database. The crash of a small Piper aircraft destroyed in an April 27 accident when it crossed paths with the blade of a wind turbine near Highmore is only the second of its kind reported in the database. Last month’s accident is under investigation by the NTSB, a federal group that investigates all aircraft incidents.
Wind farm site supervisor released on bail for CO2 leak incident
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External Source
The supervisor of an onshore wind farm construction site in Changhua County has been released on bail of NT$200,000 (US$6,260) following the death of a worker on Monday due to a CO2 leak incident, according to the Changhua District Prosecutors Office. The incident occurred on Aug. 20 at the Hai Long construction site for an offshore wind farm, resulting in one death, with two workers still in critical condition, and 14 others injured.
Worker dies in Tarifa after being trapped in a wind turbine
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External Source
A worker lost his life on Friday, 28 July, in Tarifa (Cadiz) after being trapped in a wind turbine, according to the emergency services. The event occurred at around midday, when the 112 emergency telephone operators handled a call from a worker who was trapped in the hub (the part of the machine where a shaft is supported and rotates) of a turbine, at a height of 130 metres. The turbine was located at kilometre 90 of the N-340. Emergency services, including a helicopter ambulance, the Guardia CIvil, fire brigade and police were deployed to the scene. The health services on the scene were only able to confirm the death of the worker. No further information has been released on how this incident occurred.
‘Extreme caution’ as Hull’s first large wind turbine to be taken down following major blaze
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External Source
The turbine was built back in 2008 along the banks of the River Hull. Standing at an astonishing 125m, it has been a part of the Hull skyline for over 15 years.
Viking Shetland wind farm: Man dies at Upper Kergord construction site
By
Jody Harrison
A 23-year-old man has died after he was injured at a windfarm construction site in Shetland.
Guilty plea by Kerry windfarm firm over the death of employee in Sligo landslide
By
Paul Deering
Patrick McCaffrey (37) from Rossinver, Co Leitrim died at Derrysallagh wind farm
Probe launched after death at Austrian wind farm
By
Craig Richard
Service provider dies after falling around 100 metres while installing Enercon turbine at a wind farm in eastern Austria
Dismissal of Charges Sought in Death of Skookumchuck Wind Farm Worker
By
Emily Fitzgerald
Three of the five codefendants charged with manslaughter for their alleged involvement in the death of a Chehalis man who died in January 2020 when a trench collapsed during construction of the Skookumchuck Wind Farm have filed motions asking Lewis County Superior Court to dismiss all charges against them.
Tower Climbing Safety
- Ellis Fall Safety Solutions (fallsafety.com)
- Introduction to Fall Protection, Fifth Edition, Print/Digial Bundle, American Society of Safety Engineers by J. Nigel Ellis, Ph.D., CSP, P.E., CPE
- Before Climbing That Tower by Mick Sagrillo; a checklist before climbing a guyed-lattice tower to perform an inspection of a small wind turbine.
- Draft Best Practices in Small Wind: Tower Climbing Safety by Mick Sagrillo; background on the Tower Climbing Safety document developed by the Small Wind Conference and small wind turbine installation professionals.
- RenewablesUK (Great Britain): Working at Height and Rescue–Wind Turbines Standard
Safety
In 2013 I pulled together some links to documents on safety relative to the wind industry. These topics went beyond simply tower climbing safety and safety at height and included work around rotating machinery and other common industrial hazards. Unfortunately, the industry has changed dramatically in the past decade. Most safety documents once freely available are now securely hidden by paywalls. Moreover, even the wind energy trade associations where these documents were once located have ceased to exist, merging with other renewable trade associations. Some of the British documents are still available and I’ve provide links to them. I found one public document on the off shore industry in the USA.
Europe
Great Britain
- RenewableUK: Health & Safety
- Training (for members only)
- Wind Turbine Safety Rules
North America
USA
Contact the Clean Power Association.
Worker Health and Safety on Offshore Wind Farms, Transportation Research Board, 2012.
Canada
Contact the Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
Mortal Accident Summary
I no longer actively track deaths in the wind industry. However, I will update my data as it becomes available. Below is a presentation updating my statistics to 2020. Also below is a link to the original article. For a complete analysis see Chapter 17 in my most recent book Wind Energy for the Rest of Us.
- Wind—the Breath of Life or the Kiss of Death: Analysis of Wind Energy Fatalities, 15 April 2021. Presentation to Winterwind 2021 21 April on a Comparison of Wind’s Fatalities to that of Other Industries.
- Wind Energy — The Breath of Life or the Kiss of Death: Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, 6 December 2012 update. The original article appeared in the fall of 2001.
Note that the spreadsheet has six tabs. This is only the summary page and does not include all the data on the summary page.
My Deaths Database is publicly available. Simply ask for it.
