Man killed after fall from wind turbine near Enid

What happened

A man fell about 80 feet from a wind turbine at a Blattner Energy construction site near Enid and was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews responded at about 9 pm to the area of 150th and Phillips after reports of the fall. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. The fall is believed to have been an accident, and the cause has not been established. NextEra Energy Resources said it was working with Blattner Energy on the construction and was aware of the incident but gave no further detail.

Contributing factors

It was reported that the man was wearing a safety harness. Whether it had been used improperly was not known. A wind project had been under development in the area for a few months. No cause has been established.

Lessons learned

1. Check that fall-protection equipment is correctly fitted and attached before work at height on a turbine.
2. Do not treat the presence of a harness as proof that it was used correctly; attachment and rescue practice still need checking.
3. Keep falls during construction on a clear path to the safety regulator while the cause remains unknown.

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

Source

koco.com