Vertical Horizonz Incident

Date of Incident: 5 March 2014

Description:

Vertical Horizonz NZ were instigated by Industrial Site Services to perform Global Wind Org height training at the ISS premises. ISS erected a 10m high temporary scaffolding tower in order to simulate the height of a wind turbine to make the training as realistic as possible.

As the day progressed, the number of trainees reduced. At approximately 3pm, an ISS employee was the only trainee left to descend as everyone else was observing from the ground. The VHG senior instructor ensured the trainee rigging was safe and he proceeded to complete his descent, leaving the senior instructor alone at the top of the tower. According to a witness, "he changed the rigging of the safety rope".

Two witnesses observed the senior instructor descend as far as the top of the container, where he completed "an abseil bounce off the scaffold at approx. the height of the bottom platform," (2.5m from the ground). "He appeared to come down straight, without bouncing prior to this; it all happened very fast."

At this point, the trainees all heard the thud of the instructor hitting the ground. They were found on the ground with the rope on top of him. A senior ISS manager asked what happened and the VHG instructor replied, "shit, that hurt, I ran out of rope." He was taken to hospital for assessment and X-rays.

Original Safety Alert