WORKING AT HEIGHTS - Wind Energy Network

SPONSORS OF TYNE & TEES FEATURESouth TynesideCentre of excellencefor renewable safetyLeading safety training and equipmentsupplier to the wind energy sector,Safety Technology, recently selectedTyneside as the location of their newCentre of Excellence for RenewableSafety. With existing training facilitiesin South Wales, Europe and the USA,what made Safety Technology choosethe Tyne and Tees?training expertise throughout the UK, andto continue to provide a high standardof safety courses for the industry’stechnicians.”AccreditationTo ensure the continued growth of windenergy in this area it is vital that there isa secure supply chain to support thistraining is often small. By locating itstraining in the heart of the activity, SafetyTechnology are able to offer a flexibleservice to Tyneside and the surroundingareas, helping to keep their clients’operations running smoothly.Safety Technology’s further collaborationswith South Shields Marine School andthe Port of Blyth allow the safety trainingprovider to offer a full suite of wind energysafety courses for working both onshoreand offshore, including RenewableUKWork at Height and Rescue and MST.Safety training under one roofWorking with industry leaders SafetyTechnology soon recognised the need foran ‘all under one roof’approach to safetytraining. By offeringcompanies completetraining packagesfor working on windfarms onshore andoffshore, individualscan receive all oftheir required safetytraining with theminimum disruption totheir employers.Why THIS AREA?When choosing a location for a furthertraining venture, Safety Technology lookedclosely at the existing and planned windenergy activity in the UK, and it was soonapparent that the North East was theplace to be. Its close proximity to over 20wind farms, including one of the world’slargest energy projects, Dogger Bank,and a further 10 consented or in planning,makes the Tyneside estuary a hub of windactivity both onshore and offshore.A focal pointGeneral Manager of Safety Technology,Mike Dickens, said of their new traininglocation: “The North East is quicklybecoming a focal point of renewableenergy, and Safety Technology sees thisas an exciting opportunity to further itsexpanding industry. As an establishedtraining provider, with RenewableUK andGWO accreditation, Safety Technology areworking hard to provide full safety supportto the Tyne and Tees to aid growth in thissector.Working with industryspecialistsSafety Technology offers a host ofsafety training from this region, includingRenewableUK and GWO approvedcourses, delivered from the NationalRenewable Energy Centre’s (Narec) 27metre high wind turbine training tower.With the huge surge in wind energy inrecent years, the UK’s need for trainedtechnicians has grown dramatically, andthe window for completing vital safetyHealth & safetyservicesThe wider safetyservices provided bythe company to theTyne and Tees areainclude assistancewith the health andsafety co-ordinationon wind farms, withrecent projects atLynemouth andMiddleton. The safetyspecialists are alsofully certified to carry out inspection andmaintenance on a range of fall arrest andrescue equipment used in wind turbines,including the Cresto RedPro.Planning for the futureWith a recently announced investment of£180m for the Port of Tyne’s south bankestate in South Tyneside, it seems thatgrowth is the only way forward for thisarea. With further development in thepipeline as the Port markets its North Bankestate as a site for offshore wind turbinemanufacturing, Safety Technology arecurrently in talks with partners for furtherexpansion to their Centre of Excellence forRenewable Safety in the area.Safety Technologywww.safetytechnology.co.uk40www.windenergynetwork.co.uk