Wind Turbine Manufacturer Hit with a $60,000 Fine

A worker for a manufacturer of wind turbine towers was bending one of the ‘skirts’ that, when connected together, form a wind turbine tower. During the bending operation, he stepped onto the bending machine and inside the rolled skirt to make final measurements before welding. The two ends of the skirt that were butted against each other suddenly moved, trapping part of his body and causing multiple injuries. The MOL investigation found that the incident took place because the skirt wasn’t blocked to prevent movement. The company pleaded guilty and was fined $60,000 [CS Wind Canada Inc., Govt. News Release, Aug. 19, 2016].