A man has died after being crushed beneath a turbine blade while working at a regional Victorian windfarm, with a union claiming safety concerns at the site were raised at a meeting two weeks ago.
Victoria police said the man was working at Golden Plains windfarm on Bells Road in Rokewood, about 133km west of Melbourne and 69km north-west of Geelong.
Vestas, the Danish company delivering the first stage of the project, said the 36-year-old man was an installation technician and was from regional Victoria.
He was crushed by the blade shortly after 8am on Monday. Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics responded to the incident about 8.15am.
“First responders attempted to revive the man but he was declared deceased at the scene,” police said in a statement.
Aerial footage of the site showed three blades laid on the ground, adjacent to the turbine, which appeared to be under construction. At least two cranes could be seen at the site.
The rotor blades used in the project are more than 80 metres long, according to the organisation’s website.
Vestas confirmed a subcontractor died after a turbine blade that was on the ground was being prepared for installation.
Danny Nielsen, the company’s country head in Australia and New Zealand, said it was “devastated” for the worker’s family and their colleagues.
Nielsen said the company would do “everything it can to support them during this terrible time as they grieve the loss of a cherished loved one and team member”.
“With workplace safety as our number one 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,” he said in a statement.
The Australian Workers’ Union said it was “extremely frustrated and angry” after the incident.
The union’s Victorian state secretary, Ronnie Hayden, said it was a “devastating loss”.
Hayden said delegates from three unions had met with Vestas management to raise safety concerns two weeks ago.
Speaking to reporters near the site on Monday, Nielsen said it was a “sad day for the wind community”.
He said Vestas met with unions “every single week” and discussed a “broad range of matters”.
“To my knowledge, this particular incident had not been discussed in any meeting,” he said.
Blades were stored on the ground and there was work that needed to be done before they could be lifted, Nielsen said.
“It’s in that work stream the incident or accident happened.”
Nielsen said the site would remain closed over the coming days.
The Golden Plains windfarm consists of two farms, East and West, owned by TagEnergy and Ingka Group.
The accident appears to have occurred at the East site.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, expressed her sympathies and noted the state had strong workplace safety regulations.
“Any accident in any workplace is indeed a deep concern and a tragedy,” she said.
The state’s WorkSafe minister, Danny Pearson, said it was a “heartbreaking tragedy.”
“Our thoughts are with the family of the worker as well as their workmates,” he said.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
WorkSafe would also investigate the incident, police said.
