Offshore Wind: Green Energy Cannot Come at a Human Cost

Utility-scale wind projects are springing up along the Atlantic seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico, and—within the decade—off the Pacific Coast. Federal lease auctions have committed roughly 4 million offshore acres to wind development, and the Biden administration set a goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2030. That is enough clean electricity to serve millions of homes, slash carbon emissions, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

But there is a hard truth behind these optimistic headlines: offshore wind work is physically demanding, weather-dependent, and often dangerous. Unless operators bring a safety-first mindset to every turbine foundation, cable lay, and crew transfer, the push for green energy will come at a human cost.

Early Data on Offshore Wind Shows High Injury Rates

A 2023 peer-reviewed study published in ScienceDirect found that U.S. offshore wind construction crews recorded significantly higher injury rates than North Sea oil and gas workers performing similar tasks. The authors performed a systematic review of more than 100 published papers and incident datasets from both the United States and Europe, identifying key recurring hazards in offshore wind.

The study attributed most recordable incidents to:

• Heavy lift operations and crane work around foundations and nacelles.
• Working at heights inside cramped turbine towers and nacelle housings.
• Personnel transfers between vessels and fixed structures in rough seas.
• Electrical faults and confined space hazards during commissioning and maintenance.

The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)—best known for policing offshore oil and gas operations—performed its first offshore wind turbine inspection in June 2024, a sign that U.S. regulators are beginning to watch the sector closely.

When it comes to offshore wind safety, the data pool is still small, but the signal is clear. As the offshore wind workforce grows, every lesson learned from early incidents must be translated into tougher standards, smarter training, and safer worksites.

Recent Incidents, Injuries & Fatalities

Even in an industry built on risk management, serious offshore wind accidents have surfaced worldwide. A snapshot of just the last few years shows how quickly operations can turn catastrophic.

CTV & Turbine Collision – German North Sea (2023)
A high-speed crew transfer vessel struck an operating turbine while approaching a ladder, tearing open the bow and injuring two technicians. Investigators with Germany’s Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) cited excessive speed, limited visibility from the wheelhouse, and poor lookout practices as root causes. 

Lightning Damage – Vineyard Wind 1, Massachusetts (March 2025)
A newly installed 13 MW turbine was shut down after a direct lightning strike fractured blade sections and scorched electrical components. While no one was hurt, the incident exposed the need for comprehensive lightning protection systems as Atlantic projects push into storm-prone waters. 

Blade-Debris Shutdown – Vineyard Wind 1, Massachusetts (July 2024)
Operators idled one of America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms when a fiberglass fragment from a GE blade washed ashore on nearby beaches. The project remained offline during inspections. 

Support Vessel Crash – North Sea (2024)
A 27-meter offshore support vessel slammed into the monopile of an operating turbine during personnel transfer, injuring two crew members and denting the tower. Early reports pointed to a sudden loss of maneuverability in quartering seas and inadequate contingency planning for propulsion failure. 

Fatal Sinking After Impact – East Asia (2022)
A construction barge preparing to install turbine components collided with an existing structure, holed the hull, and sank within minutes. Four crew members were lost. Regulators later concluded the bridge team relied on a single radar display and failed to post an effective visual lookout in low visibility.

Where Things Go Wrong: Key Offshore Wind Hazards

The crews that build and maintain offshore wind farms face unique hazards applicable to both the offshore industry and the wind energy industry. Constructing a wind turbine is difficult enough, but installing it miles offshore in hundreds of feet of water is an entirely different matter. Heavy weather and rough seas—not to mention a lack of access to prompt medical attention when the need arises—increase the risks to worker well-being.

The most significant offshore wind hazards are:

Heights & Ladders
Technicians must climb to heights of 300 feet or more to access nacelles. A fall from such a height will most likely be fatal; a worker who does survive may experience catastrophic spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries.

Heavy Lifts & Crane Operations
Nacelle hubs, blades, and monopile sections of an offshore wind turbine may weigh hundreds of tons. Moving and positioning these places workers at risk of suffering harm from uncontrolled swings, crane failures, or dropped loads.

Electrical & Arc Flash
High-voltage export cables and converters pose burn and electrocution risks, especially during offshore wind commissioning. Laying cables can be particularly risky, as these can become energized by cables running parallel or nearby.

Confined Spaces
Offshore wind turbine technicians frequently work inside nacelles and tower interiors, which contain limited egress routes. These confined spaces present risks ranging from fires to toxic atmospheres that can cause serious injury or death.

Fatigue & Weather Windows
Long transits and tight construction schedules may tempt companies to keep crews working in marginal conditions to meet deadlines. Failures to evacuate in hurricanes and tropical storms or unsafe shifts and hitches can put workers at undue risk.

Spotlight on Gangway Transfers & Vessel Collisions

Crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and service operation vessels (SOVs) may rely on motion-compensated gangways to “walk” technicians onto turbine landings. When swell, current, or wind conditions exceed design limits, however, those bridges can slam, drop, or shear sideways.

Recharge magazine recently warned of a spate of serious gangway injuries—rib fractures, shoulder dislocations, spinal trauma—despite modern active-heave compensation. Manufacturers continue to refine sensors and auto-disconnect systems, but the ultimate responsibility lies with vessel masters and project managers who must call off transfers when conditions deteriorate.

Collisions with offshore wind installations are another hazard. Whether it’s a crew transfer vessel edging in to “walk-to-work” technicians or a cargo ship straying off course, any ship that strikes a turbine risks major damage and serious injuries. Close-quarters maneuvers leave inches to spare; a sudden gust, engine fault, or navigation error can drive a bow into the monopile, dent towers, or shower workers with debris. Outside traffic—fishing boats, bulk carriers, tankers—may violate exclusion zones and collide in poor visibility. 

Regulatory Oversight for Offshore Wind 

Because offshore wind farms are located on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, most construction vessels carrying turbine components from U.S. ports must be Jones Act–compliant: built, owned, and crewed by Americans. Injured seafarers therefore have Jones Act and general maritime law rights to maintenance, cure, and damages from negligence or unseaworthiness.

Turbine towers and substations are considered “facilities” under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), giving the BSEE enforcement authority offshore. However, the BSEE has been known to underreport offshore worker injuries and fatalities. 

In terms of safety, OSHA standards apply to U.S.-flagged vessels and in U.S. ports. Shore-based technicians serving coastal staging yards normally fall under state workers’ comp or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act; however, if they work on a vessel, maritime statutes may apply. Understanding which regulations apply and which agencies are responsible for enforcing them is a key aspect of identifying crew members’ rights while working on offshore wind installations.

What Offshore Wind Workers Are Entitled To

Whether a person is classified as a Jones Act seaman, a longshoreman, or any other type of worker, the law demands that employers provide a safe workplace. When companies ignore weather limits, skip maintenance, or staff vessels with fatigued crews, injured workers can pursue compensation to help them rebuild. 

This may include:

• Lost wages and future earning capacity
• Medical and rehabilitation costs for as long as treatment is needed
• Damages for pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life
• Wrongful death compensation for families when tragedies occur

Legal claims tied to offshore wind projects are unusually complex, in large part because they unfold under overlapping maritime statutes and an industry framework that is still taking shape.

America’s offshore wind buildout promises thousands of jobs, billions in port investment, and cleaner energy. But none of that justifies cutting corners on crew safety. As turbines climb past 12 megawatts (MW), nacelle drops exceed 400 feet, and gangways stretch over record swells, only data-driven risk management, comprehensive training, and strict regulatory compliance can keep pace.

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As the nation’s leading maritime law firm, Arnold & Itkin has stood with crews and families after the worst offshore disasters of the last two decades. The firm’s attorneys are known for taking on powerful defendants—and securing victories that help people rebuild and move on after the worst injuries and losses. Arnold & Itkin has secured more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients across the United States, against companies like BP, Union Pacific, Johnson & Johnson, and Bayer/Monsanto.