Fatal fall inside a turbine at Windthorst II Wind, Archer County, Texas

What happened

On 24 April 2024 a person fell inside a wind turbine at the Windthorst II Wind project in Archer County, Texas, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Reporting said the person was climbing into the turbine while working on the project. The project was developed by OwnEnergy, described as a subsidiary of EDF. A spokesperson for EDF Renewables said the company was working with the contractor and the authorities on the investigation. The county sheriff's office described the incident as appearing accidental and said the inquiry was continuing. OSHA was also reported to be investigating from a safety perspective. The cause has not been reported.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The sheriff's office said the fall appeared accidental and that the investigation was still open. No finding on fall protection, access procedure or equipment has been published.

Lessons learned

1. Climbing into a turbine is work at height: fall protection, a checked climb route and a practised high-rescue plan should be in place before anyone enters the tower.
2. After a fatal fall, preserve the scene and the access equipment for the safety authority rather than returning the turbine to work.
3. Local responders need a current plan for a rescue from height, including how they will reach the site, because a turbine fall may not be survivable if help is delayed.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Cause of the fall
• Turbine model and age
• Downtime and repair cost

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

Source

insideedition.com