Alan Dransfield's Blog

Email sent – Sat 04/06/2016 07:22
To – Liam.O’Neill@hseni.gov.uk, Darren.nash@hse.gsi.gov.uk

Dear Sirs

I would like to point out a
contradiction by the HSENI ref their Screggagh Wind TurbineReport.

BETWEEN

The last sentence in paragraph 1 “The member of
the public also alleged that there was debris from the stricken turbine strewn
across the public road”. i.e. at least 300 m to the east of the
failed turbine.

AND

page 8, paragraph 3 “There was a section of blade
approximately 267 metres form WTG3 that had blown up towards the top of the
mountainside (away form the Ecclesville Road) approximately 10 to 12 ft long
and weighing approximately 10 kg.” i.e nearly 600 m away from the
road and 267 m WEST of the failed turbine.

Question

1. Did the HSENI obtain evidence from witnesses
to confirm that the allegations of debris spread across the public
(Ecclesville) road was incorrect and should not be considered in detail by the
wind turbine failure investigation? i.e. That the allegations of
debris across the public road were false and malicious. Maybe the
allegations were just honest mistakes by confused witnesses?

2. Would the HSENI’s conclusion remain unchanged
” …. HSENI still considers the risk to the public to remain low….”,
if the allegations that debris was “strewn across the public road”
were actually true? i.e. Debris strewn 300 to the EAST of the
failed turbine, rather than 267 m to the WEST of the failed turbine as stated
in the HSENI report. It is noted that wind turbines WTG1 and WTG2
are a similar distance to the Ecclesville Road as the failed WTG3 turbine and
thus present similar risks to the public. Moreover and
more importantly there are WT Nationwide which have been installed a few
metes from Motorways,Railways,in Schools and Hospitals , and close be to
residential homes etc.

3. The report also suggest/claims that the
“possible collapse ” of a wind turbine because of rotor over-speed
was not known at this time. Such comments are codswallop.

As you are aware, I have elevated my complaint to the
ICO. This is not the first time a WT has collapsed from over speed, nor the
last.

I am also of the view that the HSENI are in consort with 3rd parties to
cover up serious crimes ref WT safety and the HSENI have misled the Irish
Government.

This case has now been elevated to the ICO but I would envisage they
will consider my complaint as vexatious under section 14-1 of the FOIA 2000.

It is only a matter of time before body bags are needed with a WT
incident and then you might take this subject seriously.

This Screggagha WT Incident is of huge importance for public safety and should require the HSENI and the English counterparts to
review the clearance distance regulations and if they do not, we will surely
have a major catastrophe sooner rather than later.

For your information, action and files.

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield

Devon FOIA Campaigner

Email sent – 23/04/2016 07:41

Dear Mr Bradshaw

In appreciate such matters are outside your remit, but I
wish to keep you informed of dangerous events which I claim threaten the
general public and the environment.

I refer to the wind turbines which are non-complaint to
HSE separation guidelines.

In particular I refer to the two wind turbines
installed at:

1. Pennygillam Ind Est Launceston

2. Swanton Morely VC School in Norfolk.

I have reported these incidents, which I claim come under
the Health and Safety Executive Reporting Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences ( RIDDOR) As you are aware, the
HSE has imposed a lifetime ban against me for reporting H&S issues, hence
I have no alternative other than to use the RIDDOR online reporting form.

For your information,action and files

Your sincerely

Alan M Dransfield

Email sent – Fri 22/04/2016 06:56

Dear Mr Bradshaw

I appreciate this is outside your remit but I call upon
my MP to write to the Education Minister and protest against the installation
of wind turbines in school playgrounds as this photo clearly demonstrates.

The Board of Governors at this school are jumping on the profit bandwagon at the cost of child safety.

As you are aware,
collapsing wind turbines are quite common, and even if it doesn’t collapse there is a
danger of falling blades or ice. There is also the increased danger of lightning strikes.

I fully appreciate this particular wind turbine is a small size in
comparison, but I can safely say this wind turbine is non- compliant to HSE guidelines for
separation and should not be allowed.

For your information,action and files

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield

http://www.swantonmorleyprimary.co.uk/2014/05/wind-turbines-installation/

Email sent – 22/04/2016 07:15

Dear Sir or Madam

Please provide me with all information you hold on the wind turbine recently installed at your school. I would also like to draw
your attention to the fact this wind turbine is
non-compliant to HSE separation safety guidelines.

For child safety, I would recommend a security fence is installed to prevent the
children’s access to the wind turbine to say at least 100 metres. It would be safer and more
cost-effective to remove the wind turbine completely owing to the imminent dangers
to the children and teachers.

With thanks

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield

From: “O’Neill, Liam”
Date: 30 December 2015 16:09:59 WET
To: Alan alanmdransfield
Subject: FOI/46/2015 – Freedom of Information request

Dear
Mr Dransfield,

FREEDOM
OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

I
refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) .

You
asked us for:-

1.
an
electronic copy of the HSENI report into the collapsed Wind Turbine in Co
Tyrone in January 2015; and

2.
the
total costs to HSENI spent on this individual incident.

In relation to your 1st request I can advise you Section 44 (1) of
the FOI Act prohibits the release of information where its disclosure is
prohibited by or under any enactment. Under the provisions of Article 30
of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, certain
information cannot be released without the consent of the person/s who
furnished it.

As
such, HSENI is unable to disclose any information obtained by an Inspector as a
result of the exercise of his or her powers, except with the consent of the
person who furnished it or, for the purposes of any legal proceedings.

HSENI
has written to the relevant person/s (in this particular case 2 parties were
involved) to seek consent and I can now confirm that one of the parties
involved consented to their information being released whilst the other party
withheld consent. Accordingly, HSENI is able to disclose a limited amount of
information and this is contained in the attached PDF document ‘Screggagh_Report_Redacted.pdf’.

Where
appropriate, the personal information of third parties have been redacted as to
disclose such information would breach the requirement of fairness contained in
the first data protection principle. This has been done under Sections 40(2)
and 40(3)(a)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act.

Additionally,
certain information falls under the exemption provided at Section 30(1)(b) of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 30(1)(b) states ‘that any
Information held by a public authority is exempt information if it has at any
time been held by the authority for the purpose of any investigation which is
conducted by the authority and in the circumstances may lead to a decision by
the authority to institute criminal proceedings which the authority has power
to conduct’.

Section
30 is subject to the Public Interest Test and set out below is the test result
table.

PUBLIC
INTEREST TEST – RESULTS TABLE – FOI/46/2015 – FOI Exception 30 (1) (b)

Conclusion
: That in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the
exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

In
relation to your 2nd request and I can advise you that HSENI do not
record costs against any particular incidents and therefore we do not hold the
information requested.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact me.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

I hope
you find this information useful, but if you are dissatisfied with the way in
which HSENI has handled your request, please go to http://www.hseni.gov.uk/about-hseni/content-foi.htm
which explains the actions that are available to you.

Yours
Sincerely

Liam O’Neill
Information Manager
Tel:
028 9054 7088 (ext: 47088)
Mob: 07979365934

Email sent – Fri 11/12/2015 06:13

Health and Safety Executive, Northern Ireland

Dear Sirs

Under protection of the FOIA 2000, please provide me with an
electronic copy of the HSE report into the collapsed Wind Turbine in Co Tyrone
in January 2015.

Could you also please include the total costs to the HSE
spent on this individual incident.

with thanks

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield.

Email sent – Wed 09/12/2015 05:35

Dear Mr Bradshaw

A wind turbine located on the A30 down near Redruth with a
total clearance between the Petrol Station of less than 100 mts.

I appreciate it is outside your remit, but even you can surely
see the possible catastrophecan’t you?.

Yours etc

Dransfield

Email sent – 17 January 2015 22:04

Dear Mr Bradshaw

Please see the following report which makes very
disconcerting readings about wind turbine safety.

I call upon my MP to
request a public inquiry into the public safety issues related to wind turbines.

With thanks

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield

http://www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk/Risk.pdf