Man dies after being crushed by wind turbine blade at Golden Plains Wind Farm in Rokewood

Initial details into what caused the death of a 36-year-old construction worker at a wind farm in Golden Plains have been revealed.

Emergency services are at the scene of an industrial operation in Rokewood, south of Ballarat, where a man is understood to have been killed by the blade of a wind turbine. Picture: 7News,

Initial details into what caused the death of a construction worker at a wind farm in Golden Plains have been revealed.

WorkSafe investigators understand one of a number of blades set to be lifted up onto a wind turbine became dislodged from a support platform at about 8am on Monday.

A 36-year-old man was struck and was later pronounced dead at the site.

A WorkSafe spokesperson said on Tuesday: “WorkSafe investigators, technical experts and dedicated renewable energies construction inspectors remain on site.”

The company responsible for installing the turbines, Vestas Wind Systems, was on Monday slammed by a workers union for failing to address safety concerns despite repeated warnings in the wake of the tragedy.

Emergency services are at a wind farm south of Ballart after a worker was killed by a wind turbine blade. Picture: 7News,

“This devastating loss could have been prevented,” Australian Workers Union Victoria state secretary Ronnie Hayden said.

“Just two weeks ago, union delegates from three different unions met with Vestas management to raise serious safety concerns, telling them it was only dumb luck that nobody had been killed on site yet.”

The statement says the AWU “has consistently raised alarms about the mounting pressure on workers due to significant project delays”.

“Of particular concern has been Vestas’ decision to engage non-unionised contractors for some of the most dangerous work on site, a practice that has contributed to both safety risks and project timeline issues,’’ Mr Hayden said.

“Our delegates and organisers have found a concerning pattern of inadequate supervision across the worksite.

“Vestas appears to have attempted to transfer its safety obligations onto subcontractors who lack the necessary training and resources to manage complex safety requirements.

“This practice of delegating critical safety responsibilities without proper oversight has created dangerous gaps in safety protocols.

“This is yet another worker killed on a Victorian worksite that demands answers.

“WorkSafe and the Victorian government cannot continue to stand by while workers die.

“We need more than just investigations and reports, we need immediate action on site safety and stronger enforcement of regulations.”

Police, paramedics, firefighters, and the SES rushed to an industrial emergency in Rokewood understood to have involved an injury caused by a wind turbine. Picture: Timothy Cox.

Vestas Wind Systems confirmed the dead man was a subcontractor working on a blade that had been stored on the ground and was being prepared for installation.

Vestas Australia and New Zealand Country Head Danny Nielsen did not respond to the union’s claims, saying he had not read its comments.

“I can say that Vestas meets with unions every single week and they discuss a broad range of matters,” he said.

“To my knowledge, this particular incident has not been discussed at any meeting.”

Mr Nielsen said Vestas had spoken with the deceased man’s family and he planned to do so himself.

Work will be halted at the site at least in coming days, he said.

Journalists were interrupted by Vestas’s media adviser Kilani Fisher, who initially said no questions would be answered, when asking for more details about the fatality.

“All we can share is what we’ve said, and if you have questions my email is on the press release,” she said.

“You can divert to me.

“And that’s it.”

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said multiple written and verbal safety reports about Vestas had been sent to the Victorian safety regulator.

“Large multinationals with terrible international safety records need to know that they can’t

bring those practices to Australia. When they are operating in this country, we will hold them

to account and fight tooth and nail to defend our hard-won workplace safety standards,’’ Mr Smith said.

A spokeswoman for Golden Plains Wind Farm confirmed a workplace incident took place at the company’s Stage One site.

“The site has been closed and we are working closely with emergency services and the authorities,” she said.

WorkSafe Minister Danny Pearson said an investigation into the “heartbreaking tragedy” was underway.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy and our thoughts are with the family of the worker as well as their workmates,” he said.

Bells St in Rokewood has been closed after an industrial emergency on Monday morning. Picture: Timothy Cox.

Opposition Energy spokesman David Davis said the consortium responsible for the Golden Plains Windfarm and the construction group engaged had “real questions” to answer.

“Recent incidents have raised questions about the safety of workers and the neighbouring community,” he said.

“This includes recent debris fragmenting off large turbines.”

Mr Davis called for a “full and open inquiry” into what occurred and “why the warnings were apparently ignored”.

The state government has spruiked the project on its website, saying 228 turbines would be built on 16,739ha and that once completed would “meet 9 per cent of Victoria’s current energy demand”.

It comes just one month after the Allan government celebrated the opening of the new wind farm and as the Herald Sun revealed serrated edges had been flying off the turbines and landing on nearby farms.

TagEnergy managing partner Andrew Briggs at the time conceded the detachment of the sharp pieces of plastic was likely to occur from “time to time”.

“I guarantee there might be that happen in the future, ­because it’s a normal thing, right?” he said.

Mr Briggs added that the “safety of everyone is paramount”.

Neighbouring farmer Russell Coad, who has collected about a dozen serrated edges after they flew onto his farmland, raised serious concerns at the time about the safety of residents and those travelling by.

“What if pieces flew off and hit a car?” he said.

“It’s so close to the road.”

It came after farmers and local residents had been told to delay works and wear hard hats within 400m of the wind turbines

“If works without are not critical, we recommend postponing until the second risk assessment is completed and further communications are issued,” the company told locals.

A WorkSafe investigation into the detachments is ongoing.

The tragic death marks the 38th fatal workplace incident in Victoria this year.

Originally published as Man dies after being crushed by wind turbine blade at Golden Plains Wind Farm in Rokewood