"Wind energy jobs are taking off, but so are risks,"

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OSHA and state offices are responsible for inspecting job sites and enforcing safety rules. But Matthew Mayers, director of the Green Workers Alliance, said the group’s members rarely, if ever, see inspections. In practice, workers’ safety depends on company procedures, or on the knowledge and empowerment of workers themselves. And companies can vary, from the owner of the wind farm to equipment manufacturers like General Electric and subcontractors like WindCom. “We work with OSHA as much as possible,” Mayers said, “but we also understand that it’s really up to workers building their own power to enforce better conditions.” 

For the past few months, the Green Workers Alliance has been surveying wind-energy workers about workplace safety. The survey is ongoing, but the group shared preliminary results with High Country News in early November, after 51 people had completed it. More than half said that they’d felt pressure to work beyond their safe capacity due to long hours or lack of rest days. Still more said they’d had to work alongside colleagues who were not properly trained. 

Foeday would like to see stricter training requirements and more hands-on training. Wind techs typically work in at least pairs and rely on one another for their safety, so when someone isn’t adequately trained, it’s dangerous for everyone. “Now you have to pay attention to (the new tech), because if anything happened up in the air, he has to rescue you, or you have to rescue him,” Foeday said. 

As the industry grows, increased unionization, stronger OSHA standards, pro-labor laws and better training may all help boost job safety. In the meantime, though, the Green Workers Alliance is taking a mutual aid approach to improving conditions. In coming months, it will release a mobile-optimized website where workers can enter details about work sites, including pay, lodging, food and working conditions, as well as learn about workers’ rights.

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