Other fall to lower level, unspecified · Fractures and other injuries, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Nordex USA, Inc., Azure Sky Wind Farm near Throckmorton, TX, THROCKMORTON, TEXAS 76483
on — Fractures and other injuries, unspecified, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was climbing down a fixed ladder on a wind turbine tower. He fell and landed on a platform on the tower level below, suffering head trauma, a broken leg, and loss of consciousness. He was hospitalized.
HospitalizedMultiple body parts, n.e.c.Windmills, wind turbines
Employees were replacing low batteries on a wind turbine. They replaced two battery racks, replaced the covers, and attempted to start the tower. The tower then faulted on a faulty pitch master, so they replaced the pitch master. They then started preparing to program the pitch master when the entire battery rack exploded, creating a large bang and flash and throwing the cover across the hub, striking the injured employee in the back. The employee suffered three fractured vertebrae in their lower back.
An employee was placing zip ties. The elevator he was on moved upward and his left foot got caught on one of the rungs, resulting in crush injuries to his toes.
An employee was checking a safety valve in a wind turbine hub. The valve separated from the mechanism and struck the employee's hand, causing a 2 1/2-inch laceration.
An employee was on an A-frame ladder retrieving materials from a shelf. He slipped and fell and his leg got caught in the ladder rungs, breaking his left tibia.
An employee was unloading materials from a flatbed trailer when they fell from the trailer and landed on the ground. The employee sustained a fractured left leg.
An employee was unloading appliances at a customer location for delivery. The employee was moving a water heater to be placed on the liftgate when he stepped backward and fell to the ground. The employee sustained rib and back injuries.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee was ascending the wind tower when their right arm was caught between the lift and the ladder. The employee sustained a right elbow injury and was hospitalized.
On 3/27/2025, at 9:57 AM, an employee was performing switching work including installing electrical grounds when an arc flash occurred. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was worn at the time, including an arc flash hood, shirt, and pants. The employee suffered burns and was hospitalized.
An employee was cleaning dirt out of a contactor using a hand-held blower and contact cleaner. An arc flash occurred, and the employee sustained burns to the right side of their face and both hands.
On February 16, 2025, an employee was descending a ladder on the third deck after completing rigging at a wind farm. Their left foot slipped on the penultimate rung and their leg became wedged between the ladder rungs and a horizontal bracket. The employee then landed on the second deck resting platform, resulting in a leg fracture above the ankle.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.