Worker dies after fall from turbine at Whitelee windfarm near Glasgow
EIR-0911A 32 year old man fell to his death from a turbine at Whitelee Windfarm near Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, Scotland. The incident occurred on a Wednesday in late March 2017 while the turbine involved was reportedly undergoing maintenance, although the maintenance activity was not said to be connected to the fall. Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police Scotland confirmed the death was not being treated as suspicious and a report would be sent to the Procurator Fiscal. The site owner, ScottishPower, confirmed an incident had occurred and offered condolences. The incident followed a separate fatal accident at ScottishPower's Kilgallioch Windfarm in South Ayrshire two weeks earlier, in which a contractor working for a turbine manufacturer died after falling inside an under construction turbine.
Not reported in detail; the source states the turbine was undergoing maintenance at the time but that this was not connected to the fall.
- Fall protection and lockout procedures for personnel working at height on turbines should be rigorously enforced regardless of whether maintenance is in progress.
- Operators should ensure clear incident reporting protocols with police and regulators such as the Health and Safety Executive following any fall from height.
- Repeated fatalities across sites within a short period should prompt sector wide review of contractor safety practices and turbine access procedures.
Published 2026-09-16. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.