Thursday, July 7, 2016

Wind turbine worker was seriously injured after a 4-lb bolt fell onto his head in a wind farm in Pratt, Kansas






Second worker injured at Pratt County wind farm

  By Molly Brewer Updated: July 7, 2016, 9:37 am

 
PRATT, Kansas (KSNW) – An earlier report that a second person fell from a wind turbine in Pratt County has been corrected.

The KSN newsroom received a call last night from Pratt County Sheriff Vernon Chinn who said emergency services were dispatched to a wind farm southeast of Pratt where they found a 26-year-old Gary Newman with a severe head wound.

The sheriff’s office says that Newman was approximately 100 feet above the ground inside a turbine tower when a 4 lb., 10” bolt fell from more than 100 feet above him, striking him in the head.

That man was knocked unconscious, but other workers were able to lower him to the ground where he re-gained consciousness.

The man was taken to the Kingman Hospital where they were met by a medical helicopter and he was then flown to a Wichita area hospital.

That turbine worker was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident according to Sheriff Chin.

Another worker fell from a wind turbine in the same general area last week. That worker was taken to a Wichita hospital in critical condition.




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Man suffers 'severe head wound' in accident at Pratt County wind farm Posted: Jul 06, 2016 11:34 PM EST Updated: Jul 07, 2016 5:35 PM EST
written by KAKE News

The wind turbine where a worker fell 126 feet July 3. PRATT, Kan. (KAKE) -

The Pratt County Sheriff corrected an earlier report Wednesday night, saying a worker did not fall from a wind turbine. Instead, a four-pound bolt fell on his head.

The accident happened around 9:40 p.m. at the Ninnescah Wind Farm southeast of Pratt. Sheriff Vernon Chinn told KAKE News the 26-year-old man was in a tower about 100 feet above the ground. The bolt from a turbine fell from an estimated 100 feet above him.

"The worker was approximately 100 feet above the ground inside the tower, when a 4 pound bolt, approximately 10 inches long fell from over 100 feet above the worker, striking him in the head, knocking him unconscious," Sheriff Chinn said.

Sheriff Chin identified the injured worker as Gary Newman from California. He is an employee of Blattner Energy based in Avon, Minnesota.

Chinn said two other workers in the tower were able to lower the injured colleague to the ground safely, and he regained consciousness.

The worker suffered a severe head wound and was taken to a Kingman hospital. From there, he was flown to a hospital in Wichita.

OSHA is investigating the incident.

"Wind Energy workers are exposed to many hazards that can result in fatalities and serious injuries such as falls, struck by, electrical shocks and crushing injuries. While wind energy is a growing industry, the hazards are not unique and OSHA has many standards that cover these working conditions," said Judy Freeman, OSHA's Area Director in Wichita. "Wind energy employers on this site and elsewhere need to evaluate their safety and health programs to ensure they are protecting their workers from workplace hazards."