RES America, a company affiliate and a contractor providing medical services have been fined over half million dollars by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) in the US over the death of one wind farm worker and injury of another in January.
The fines relate to the collapse of a trench at the Skookumchuck wind farm site near Rainier in Washington state.
L&I said an investigation found numerous safety violations in connection with the incident.
As a result, L&I has cited RES affiliate, RES System 3 for eight violations, and RES America Construction for six violations related to the incident.
GEMS, the medical service contractor, has been cited for one serious violation, L&I said.
RES System 3 will face $360,874 in fines and RES America $184,800, it added.
GEMS is being fined $4200.
L&I said that at the time of the incident, a RES System 3 employee was in a 15-foot-deep trench to position a bore pipe so it could be placed underneath a culvert by an excavator.
Moments after the employee entered the trench, part of it collapsed, pinning the man.
After another worker and the excavator operator jumped in to rescue him, a second, larger collapse trapped the rescuers as well.
The excavator operator was buried up to his knees, but was able to free himself and call for help.
Managers and employees from RES America and RES System 3, as well as GEMS medics arrived to assist in the rescue effort.
At one point, nine or more people took turns entering the still unprotected trench to dig out the buried workers.
The crew found the worker who jumped in after the first collapse, but he was pronounced dead by an on-scene medic.
A short time later, the victim buried in the first collapse was freed and taken by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries.
L&I division of occupational safety and health assistant director Anne Soiza said: “This incident is heartbreaking and frustrating. This fatality and the hospitalisation of a worker were completely preventable.
“Trenching at this depth, in the dead of winter after days of rain, in unstable soil with no trench box, was a recipe for disaster.
“These violations were flagrant and they nearly lead to a multiple-fatality incident. Sadly, they did cost one employee his life. For these reasons, the maximum penalty allowable under safety laws is being issued for the two most directly related wilful violations.”
L&I said employers have 15 business days from the time they receive the citation from L&I to appeal.
A spokesperson for RES said: “We are heartbroken by the circumstances of this situation.
“RES fully cooperated with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health during the course of this investigation.
“We strongly disagree with the alleged violations outlined in the citations, and will contest the citations in the appropriate regulatory framework.”