December 14, 2012
Massachusetts

Worker rescued after fall at Hanover wind turbine; 53-year-old man hurt in 20-foot fall

By Lane Lambert | The Patriot Ledger | Dec 14, 2012 | www.patriotledger.com

A worker has been rescued after falling 20 feet inside he new Hanover wind turbine Friday morning.

The man was taken to South Shore Hospital. Hanover Fire Chief Jeffrey Blanchard said he’s conscious and in stable condition, but didn’t identify the worker or give details of his injuries.

The victim is a 53-year-old man. Blanchard said he’s not a town employee.

The accident occurred at about 9 a.m. Friday. Initial reports said he fell 40 feet, but Blanchard said he actually fell from 60 feet inside the turbine tower onto a platform 40 feet off the turbine floor.

The 210-foot-high, cylindrical turbine tower is located next to the town’s water treatment plant on Pond Street. Its startup has been delayed for months by problems, so no machinery was operating at the time of the accident.

Blanchard declined to describe the work the man was doing, or whether he was wearing a harness at the time. An investigator from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on the scene Friday morning.

Hanover firefighters and police were assisted by a 28-person crew from the Plymouth County Technical Rescue team. Duxbury Fire Chief Kevin Nord, the county rescue team’s supervisor, said this is the first wind turbine accident in which the team has been involved.

Hanover firefighters have done rescue training at the new turbine site.

“The space itself is very unique,” Nord said. “It’s cramped and confined.”

The $790,000 turbine was built and tested in India, and was expected to begin generating power to run the treatment plant earlier this year. Its operation has been delayed for months by control system problems and a defective pressure switch.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/14/worker-rescued-after-fall-at-hanover-wind-turbine-53-year-old-man-hurt-in-20-foot-fall/