Golden Plains Wind Farm: Workplace manslaughter scrutiny after tragic wind farm accident

Industrial manslaughter laws are copping scrutiny following the death of a wind farm contractor crushed under a turbine blade, prompting a workplace watchdog investigation.

WorkSafe is investigating after the 36-year-old subcontractor died at the Golden Plains Wind Farm project on Monday morning.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy and our thoughts are with the family of the worker as well as their workmates,” WorkSafe Minister Danny Pearson said.

Vestas, the Danish wind giant delivering the project, said on Monday it was devastated by the incident and is assisting authorities with their inquiries.

The Australian Workers Union slammed Vestas for engaging non-unionised workers for dangerous on-site jobs, and said delegates had reported a number of safety concerns at the project.

The AWU, along with the CFMEU and the Electrical Trades Union, had raised these concerns with Vestas only weeks before the tragedy.

Australian Workers Union Victoria Secretary Ronnie Hayden said industrial manslaughter laws enacted in 2020, which included up to 25 years in prison for employees found responsible for worker deaths, were gathering dust.

“There’s 298 workers killed in Victoria since industrial manslaughter laws came in and nobody’s doing anything about it,” Mr Hayden told ABC Radio on Monday.

“When bosses cut corners on safety and workers die, they belong behind bars — it’s that simple,” he said.

It was a sentiment echoed by CFMEU National Secretary Zach Smith.

“The CFMEU has made multiple written and verbal safety reports of Vestas to the Victorian safety regulator, WorkSafe,” he said.

“Large multinationals with terrible international safety records need to know that they can’t bring those practices to Australia.”

At a press conference on Monday, Vestas Australia and New Zealand boss Danny Nielsen said safety was the organisation’s number one priority, but would not confirm the union claims.

“Vestas meets with unions every single week, and they discuss a broad range of matters,” he said.

“To my knowledge, this particular incident has not been discussed in any meeting.”

The project has been temporarily halted to make way for the investigation.

The Golden Plains Wind Farm project is slated to be the biggest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, and once completed would generate around nine per cent of Victoria’s current energy demand.