Two workers die after work basket fall at Birstein wind turbine, Germany

What happened

Two 32-year-old workers died after a work basket they were in fell from the upper part of a wind turbine under construction in Birstein, northeast of Frankfurt, Germany. The incident occurred on a Wednesday morning, according to police cited by the German Press Agency (dpa); the exact calendar date has not been independently confirmed. Other workers at the site heard the incident and called for an ambulance, but rescue services were unable to save the two men, who are believed to have died instantly.

It was initially unclear why the work basket fell from height. Emergency services, including the fire brigade, attended the site, and police investigations were opened. An expert was expected to be appointed to reconstruct the exact chain of events and determine the cause of the failure.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the work basket's fall from height had not been determined at the time of reporting.

Lessons learned

1. Work baskets used at height on wind turbines under construction must have verified attachments, as sudden failure caused instant deaths.
2. Sites under construction need tested rescue plans for height incidents, given delays in reaching workers.
3. An independent expert must reconstruct events after any basket failure to stop recurrence at other sites.

More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact cause of the work basket fall
• Work basket model and inspection history
• Duration of site downtime

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

sarawaktribune.com