December 14, 2012
Massachusetts

Worker falls in wind turbine in Hanover

WHDH | December 14, 2012 | www1.whdh.com

A worker fell 40 feet inside a wind turbine, but was conscious and talking when rescuers arrived.

The rescue operation was very technical and dangerous. It involved men from the regional rescue team that was trained to conduct a rescue inside a wind turbine.

“He was inside the tower. He fell about 40 feet. Halfway down the tower there was a platform. He was caught on the platform. That’s why there were so many complications because it’s a narrow space that they had to do to get him out,” said Donald White.

It took about an hour and a half to stabilize the worker and to haul heavy lines and gear up inside the space.

“In this case he was placed into a basket, a stokes basket. Lines were attached and he was lowered down from that level. He had to come down vertically as opposed to horizontally because he had to come through several hatchways,” said Kevin Nord of the Regional Technical Rescue Team.

The worker was crossing from one deck level to another when he fell. No one knows how it happened, but it was a difficult rescue.

“The space itself is very unique. It’s cramped, it’s confined. Radios don’t often work too well. Communication is tough. Gear has to be logistically carried to the location which to be used that requires manpower. We have about 30 teams members on this deployment. There’s probably about 50 team wide,” said Nord.

Because so many wind turbines are going up now, the rescue team as well as many fire departments, as well as Hanover, have been conducting drills so they were prepared for the rescue.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/14/worker-falls-in-wind-turbine-in-hanover/