Worker dies after incident at Vestas' Colorado factory

UNITED STATES: A worker has died following an accident at Vestas' tower manufacturing facility in Pueblo, Colorado.

Vestas tower manufacturing plant at Pueblo, Colorado

According to press reports, local police said the man had been working on train tracks helping load tower sections when he was "pinned against a flat-bed train car by a forklift". The county coroner said the man died from "crushing injuries".

Both police and the coroner have described the incident as an industrial accident.

Vestas Towers president Knud Bjarne Hansen said the man was employed by contractor Transportation Technology Services (TTS).

He added: "We are saddened by the news, Vestas and TTS are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities regarding the investigation of this tragic accident."

The accident follows recent accusations from workers over standards at Vestas' Colorado blade manufacturing plant in Windsor.

According to the Coloradoan newspaper, chemicals in the factory have made several workers ill, in some cases causing employees to lose their jobs.

The paper said that in a two-month investigation, it found several employees at the factory had developed the skin allergy dermatitis after being exposed to epoxy resin.

In a statement, Vestas said employees are given extensive safety training, and those that follow safety procedures have a "very low risk" of developing dermatitis.