By Melissa Cunningham and Lachlan Abbott
A man has died after being crushed beneath a wind turbine blade in Victoria’s west, two weeks after the Australian Workers Union says it met the site’s management to sound the alarm on serious safety concerns.
Victoria Police said the 36-year-old man was working on Bells Road in Rokewood, a small rural township in the Golden Plains Shire, when he was injured at 8am on Monday.
Police and emergency services on the scene of the fatal industrial incident in Rokewood. Credit: Nine News
His death comes less than two months after it was reported serrated edges had detached and fallen from turbines at the same site and landed on nearby properties.
Police, paramedics and SES volunteers from Bannockburn rushed to the Golden Plains Wind Farm, where the man was working, about 133 kilometres west of Melbourne.
First responders attempted to revive the man, but he was declared dead at the scene. WorkSafe confirmed it was investigating the incident.
Danish renewable energy giant Vestas, the company delivering the engineering, procurement and construction of the multibillion-dollar project at the wind farm, confirmed a subcontractor had died following an on-site accident.
The company said in a statement the subcontractor was working on a blade that had been stored on the ground and was being prepared for installation.
“The site has been closed, and we are working closely with emergency services and the authorities,” a Vestas spokeswoman said.
The Australian Workers Union said it was “extremely frustrated and angry” at the death of the worker.
The union’s Victorian secretary, Ronnie Hayden, described it as devastating loss, which he claimed could have been prevented.
“Just two weeks ago, union delegates from three different unions met with Vesta’s management to raise serious safety concerns, telling them it was only dumb luck that nobody had been killed on site yet,” Hayden said.
He alleged the incident occurred against a backdrop of mounting safety concerns at the project, and said three unions including the workers’ union, Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union and Electrical Trades Union had warned Vestas of safety concerns in the lead up to the man’s death.
“This is yet another worker killed on a Victorian worksite that demands answers,” Hayden said.
He said the union had raised concerns 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,” Hayden alleged.
In September, it was also revealed small turbine blade parts had detached and fell from turbines at the site, triggering an investigation.
RenewEconomy, an independent outlet that reports on clean energy news, reported the wind turbine blade parts that detached were “serrated trailing edges”, which use a sawtooth design to improve airflow over the wind turbine blades and reduce the noise they make when spinning.
Danny Nielsen, the Australian head of Vestas, said the company was devastated for the worker’s family and the team building the wind farm.
He said Vestas would be doing everything possible to support them “during this terrible time as they grieve the loss of a cherished loved one and team member”.
Nielsen said workplace safety was the company’s top priority.
“The site has been closed, and we are working closely with the authorities, including the police and Worksafe Victoria, to investigate what happened, and work with the project partners to take steps to prevent it recurring in the future,” Nielsen said.
Aerial footage of the site on Monday showed three blades on the ground, adjacent to the turbine, which appeared to be under construction.
The rotor blades used in the project are roughly more than 80 metres in length, according to the project’s website.
At least two cranes could be seen at the site and a large area was cordoned off with police tape. Distressed workers could be seen gathering in a nearby paddock after the tragedy.
Nielsen did not respond to the claims by the union at a press conference outside the wind farm.
He said Vestas met unions every week, but would not confirm discussions of safety with them.
Nielsen said Vestas had spoken with the deceased man’s family and work would be halted at the site at least in coming days.
The property is part of the multibillion-dollar Golden Plains Wind Farm Project, where an energy facility is being built, including wind turbines and electrical infrastructure.
The Golden Plains Wind Farm is owned by TagEnergy and Ingka Group and has been under construction since early 2023.
Once the project is completed, it will be the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, producing more than 4000 gigawatt hours of energy each year.
The state government has previously declared it will be able to provide 9 per cent of the state’s energy or enough to power 765,000 homes.
The Golden Plains Wind Farm site has been closed pending a WorkSafe investigation.Credit: Nine News
Hayden alleged the union had observed a “concerning pattern of inadequate supervision” at the site.
He accused Vestas of transferring its safety obligations onto subcontractors who lacked 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,” he said.
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said his union had sent several written and verbal safety reports on Vestas to WorkSafe.
The Herald Sun reported last month locals had reported finding pieces of wind turbines, including serrated trailing edges, near the green-energy project.
Owners of the federal and state government-backed Golden Plains Wind Farm had earlier contacted neighbouring landowners to warn them about “blade serration detachment” after wild winds.
Hayden called for action from WorkSafe and the Victorian government.
“We need more than just investigations and reports – we need immediate action on site safety and stronger enforcement of regulations,” he said.
“We’re sick of hollow investigations and paperwork while workers are killed.”
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Victorian Minister for WorkSafe Danny Pearson said it was a “heartbreaking tragedy.”
“Our thoughts are with the family of the worker as well as their workmates,” he said.
“The incident is being investigated by WorkSafe.”
Opposition energy spokesman David Davis called for an inquiry into the death.
“There are real questions to be answered by both the consortium responsible for the Golden Plains Windfarm and the construction group involved,” Davis said.
The wind farm has planning approval for up to 228 turbines, with the current design comprising 215 turbines across 16,739 hectares.
With AAP
Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.