WORKING AT HEIGHTS - Wind Energy Network

SPONSORS OF Height & Confined Spaces WorkExperienceinnovation& dedicationbrings workers in the OffShore WindIndustry home safelyTransferring technicians from boatsto turbines is an inherently dangerousprocedure, requiring the worker toclimb from the front of the boat on toa vertical ladder.Maintenance often takes place whenenvironmental conditions are not ideal andit is common for transfers to take placein waves of over 2m. The safest way toprotect the worker is to attach to a laddermountedfall arrest block during transition.50 years experienceBeing permanently installed close to thetideline, and with many working parts, thiscalls for a highly engineered system built towithstand the punishing sea environment.Learning from over 50 years of blockmanufacture and putting safety andinnovation at the forefront of every productdesigned, has made Capital Safety theglobal leader in supplying blocks for thisenvironment.Ingress Protection (IP)By sealing their blocks with an IngressProtection (IP) rating of 68, the blockcan withstand complete and continuoussubmersion in water without any moistureentering the moving parts. It is inevitablethat the cable will carry water back intothe device as it retracts, however, thiswill still not affect the mechanism as it isfully sealed from the cable housing. Anydamage to the cable and the Fastlinesystem can be quickly replaced in the fieldusing a minimum of tools.Some operators are using non-sealedblocks on the basis that they can absorbthe cost of replacing them after only a fewyears’ service. Open to the environmentthe functionality of these kinds of blockscannot be assured, the risk exposure inthis kind of policy is greatly increased.Furthermore when an unsealed blockseizes, as it is prone to do, the turbine canno longer be safely accessed, outagesbecome prolonged and revenue is lost.Training and technicalassistanceBacking up all the products and systemswith the highest calibre training and technicalassistance is imperative to bringing everyworker at height home safely.Capital Safetywww.capitalsafety.euClick to view more info86www.windenergynetwork.co.uk