The 40-year-old operator, with almost 10 years of experience working for Felbermayr, was killed while lifting the blade for a Vestas wind turbine in Mannhagen.
It is not clear what caused the accident, and no investigation has been completed. However, pictures from the scene show the blade gripper, used to hold the blade, in place on the rope after the accident. The photos of the accident show no apparent failure of the crane, other than the damage caused by the falling blade. A Felbermayr spokesman told Cranes Today that eyewitnesses reported the blade appearing to slip from the blade gripper, and confirmed that there was no fault with the crane.
Vestas said that it takes safety seriously and its experts will, together with the crane company and authorities, conduct a thorough investigation to establish the root cause of this accident. The company has contracted a third party to conduct an independent investigation. When asked about the specifics of the accident, as detailed here, Vestas declined to comment further.
The crane used for the lift was a Liebherr LR 1600. Felbermayr’s spokesman says the firm was contracted only to supply the crane and operator, not to oversee lifting operation. The spokesman says the firm did not supply the rigging equipment used during the lift, was not responsible for its inspection, and did not oversee attaching the blade to the rigging.
