Crane operator dies during wind farm construction in Poweshiek County
2018Published 14 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- North English wind farm, Poweshiek County, Iowa
- Owner
- MidAmerican Energy
- What
- Crane operator died in construction accident
- Injuries
- Crane operator died
- Cause
- Under investigation
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Blattner Energy, MidAmerican Energy
What happened
In July 2018, a spokesperson for Blattner Energy said a crane operator had died in an accident at the North English wind farm construction site in Poweshiek County, Iowa, where the company was building wind turbines for MidAmerican Energy. The specifics of the accident, including the cause, were not reported. Blattner Energy was reported to be co-operating with the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office and OSHA.
Contributing factors
Not reported.
Lessons learned
- Treat crane work on a wind construction site as a high-risk lift, with a written plan, exclusion zones and a stop rule if conditions change.
- After a fatal site accident, preserve the scene and notify the employer and the safety regulator without delay.
- Do not state a cause until an investigation has reported one.
More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, emergency response and public communication, investigation and fleet-wide checks, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Specific cause of the accident
- Type of crane involved
- Date of the accident
- Sequence of events
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Site page: North English (status, dates and other incidents)
Published 2026-09-14. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
