This morning, a worker from regional Victoria died after he was crushed by a turbine blade at a wind farm in Rokewood.
The man, who was in his 30s, had been a subcontractor at the Golden P23 Wordslains Wind Farm.
According to the police, he was working when he was killed.
First responders tried to revive him, but he passed away at the scene. The incident was confirmed by the company that supplies turbines, Vestas.
The company noted that it would immediately close the site. Danny Nielson, the head of operations for Vestas Australia, said the company was deeply affected by the incident and would do everything it could to support the worker’s family.
Danny Pearson, the minister for worksafe, said that the incident occurred in the underground work stream, where preparation work was being carried out before the blade could be left.
He noted that the incident was a tragic accident and that the government would do everything it could to help the worker’s family. He also said that the workers’ families were in his thoughts.
The AWU, which is the union representing workers at the wind farm, noted that it had raised safety concerns about the company earlier this month.
According to the union’s state secretary, Ronnie Hayden, the incident could have been prevented if the company had taken the necessary steps to improve its safety. The organization also noted that it had repeatedly raised concerns about the increasing pressure on the workers due to the delays in the project.
The union also claimed that the company had started to hire non-union contractors for dangerous work on the site. According to Hayden, the incident shows that the company needs to take immediate action to improve the safety of its workers.
He noted that the worker, who had not come home after working, was the seventh person to die on a Victorian worksite this year. Aerial images of the incident show a large area of police tape surrounding the area.
The first stage of the Rokewood wind farm was being completed. Once fully operational, it will be regarded as the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.