Three workers killed after nacelle fire on Sinovel turbine, northern China

In 2011, three workers died following an incident in the nacelle of a Sinovel turbine at an onshore wind farm in northern China. Sector trade press reporting indicated that the sequence began when one worker suffered an electric shock in the nacelle. Two further workers sustained severe burns in the fire that followed and later died in hospital. Sinovel stated at the time that it was investigating the cause. No detailed findings on causation were published in the sources reviewed. The incident occurred during a period of rapid growth in the national wind fleet, during which the national energy regulator had asked the national wind industry association to carry out a wide ranging review of turbine quality.

Causation for this incident was not disclosed in the sources reviewed. Reporting established only that an electric shock in the nacelle was followed by a fire, and that two workers died of burn injuries after being taken to hospital. The wider context reported at the time was a national review of turbine quality during a period of rapid fleet growth, which was not linked by the sources to this specific event. The severity of the burn injuries and the elevated, confined nature of the nacelle work location are consistent with the recognised difficulty of escape and rescue from a nacelle during a fire, but no source confirmed the escape or rescue arrangements in place.

1. Treat simultaneous injury to more than one worker as a credible outcome of any electrical event in a nacelle, and size rescue, first aid and evacuation arrangements for the maximum number of people who may be aloft at one time.
2. Confirm and record electrical isolation, lock out and tag out before any work on or near energised equipment in the nacelle, and require a second person check where the task allows.
3. Specify arc rated clothing and equipment where arc flash energy has been assessed as credible, recognising that general flame resistant workwear is rated for a different hazard.
4. Rehearse nacelle fire scenarios that combine a casualty with an active fire, including descent or evacuation of an incapacitated person and the handover point to external emergency services.
5. Agree in advance with local emergency and medical services the access route, expected response time and the nearest facility able to treat severe burns, and record this in the site emergency plan.
6. Where work involves non standard configurations such as testing, repair or commissioning, apply a task specific risk assessment rather than relying on routine maintenance procedures.
7. Confirm before work begins that technicians have documented familiarity with the specific electrical architecture of the turbine model they are working on, particularly on recently installed or modified machines.

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