00:00A workplace accident at Australia's soon-to-be largest wind farm stirring anger among workers.
00:10There's a son not going home to mum and dad. There's a friend not going home. It's just
00:15not acceptable. A 36-year-old subcontractor was crushed this
00:20morning beneath a wind turbine blade being stored on the ground at the Golden Plains
00:24wind farm in Rokewood. First responders tried to revive him but he died at the scene.
00:30The business is devastated for the workers' family and the entire team building the wind
00:36farm. The workers' union says the man's death followed
00:39a series of safety concerns. We've had near misses. There's just been a
00:45range of issues that have been going on since day one.
00:49In September, small parts detached and fell from turbines at the site, triggering a WorkSafe
00:55investigation. The union says it met with the company, Danish
00:59renewable energy giant Vestas, less than two weeks ago to raise safety concerns.
01:05It's absolutely devastating to think that if we had pushed harder, this could have been
01:10avoided. Safety is our number one priority, so any
01:14incidents, any accidents, any deaths for us is one too many.
01:19The death has prompted calls for more rigorous safety standards in the renewable energy sector,
01:24both here in Victoria and across Australia. The union says standards are lagging 15 years
01:30behind other industries. A WorkSafe investigation is underway while
01:35police prepare a report for the coroner.
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