On July 18, a tragic workplace accident occurred at Vestas’ (Vestas Wind Systems A/S) facility in Nakskov, Denmark, resulting in the death of a truck driver who was crushed by a heavy steel element. Prior to the accident, the driver had expressed concerns that the heavy steel elements on his truck were not secured adequately. The Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) has conducted an investigation into the incident and concluded that the driver had sensed instability in the cargo, which prompted him to drive slower than usual.

On the day of the accident, the truck driver arrived at Vestas’ blade production facility carrying four steel elements, each weighing around 1,300 kilograms (approximately 2,866 pounds), intended for the transportation of large wind turbine blades. According to a Vestas employee who received the driver, he had voiced uncertainty about whether the tension straps on the elements were secured correctly. Shortly after the driver arrived, a forklift operator from Vestas began to unload the truck, but during the process, one of the heavy steel elements toppled and landed on the driver.

The forklift operator was unable to lift the heavy element off the driver and immediately called for assistance. The rescue team had to secure the steel elements with new tension straps before they could commence their rescue efforts, but unfortunately, it was too late.

Subsequently, the Danish Working Environment Authority issued an immediate notice to a Polish company that was responsible for the transportation, citing insufficient safety measures. Vestas has stated that they will work closely with the subcontractor and the transport company to investigate the cause of the accident and to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company has also expressed its deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased driver and emphasized the importance of stringent safety practices in their operations.