Fatal gearbox shaft entanglement at Causeymire wind farm in Scotland
Sept 2009Published 20 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in this entry: Siemens
What happened
A technician employed by Siemens died at the Causeymire wind farm in Scotland on 16 September 2009 during a warranty inspection of turbine 18. Four people were in the nacelle, two from Siemens and two from RWE. While an RWE engineer was pitching the rotor blades into the off position and locking them off to allow the inspection, the technician's harness became entangled in the high-speed shaft coupling and he was pulled towards the rotating shaft.
The emergency stop cord was pulled and emergency services were called, but the technician was pronounced dead at the scene. The Health and Safety Executive found that the gearbox had been inadequately guarded since January 2009, exposing the rotating shafts. At Tain Sheriff Court, Siemens Public Limited Company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £107,000. RWE Innogy UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the same Act and was fined £45,000.
Contributing factors
The gearbox in turbine 18 had been inadequately guarded since January 2009, exposing rotating shafts. The HSE stated that the lack of guarding was known to those involved, and that the risk was well known across all industries. The harness became entangled while the rotor was being pitched and locked off during the inspection.
Lessons learned
- Guard all rotating shafts and couplings on turbines before they are accessed or returned to service, and treat missing guarding as a stop condition.
- Use a documented isolation and locking procedure for rotating equipment during inspections, with checks that the rotor is fully stopped before anyone enters the hazard zone.
- Assess whether harnesses, lanyards and clothing can become caught in exposed rotating parts, and restrict access to the nacelle during rotor movements.
More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.
Source
Site page: Causeymire (status, dates and other incidents)
Published 2026-10-20. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
