Wind turbine technicians work at great heights, often more than 300 feet off the ground. They work with heavy equipment and power tools and are exposed to extreme weather conditions.
Wind turbine technicians work at great heights, often more than 300 feet off the ground. They work with heavy equipment and power tools and are exposed to extreme weather conditions.
All of these factors expose workers to extreme danger, and it's better to know how to deal with these potential dangers proactively instead of reacting chaotically in the heat of the moment.
The whole team must know these safety protocols because one ignorant person can put the entire team in extreme danger.
The GWO safety training at PCI is a series of courses covering the most common dangers faced by technicians and other workers in the wind turbine industry. Each course educates workers on how to deal with the dangers they're likely to face at work.
The course is audited and continuously updated by committees in the GWO. These include the Training Committee, Audit & Compliance Committee, GWO North American Committee, and GWO China Committee.
This auditing ensures that the courses reflect the latest and best safety practices required for a safe work environment.
The training is organized by certified GWO training providers, such as PCI, with years of experience delivering quality training.
There are different types of GWO courses catering to diverse needs.
Workers will learn basic safety procedures in five modules of study. These include First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights, and Sea Survival.
The BSTR-P is a shorter and more focused version of the BST. It's a refresher course for workers who have already taken the BST and have a valid BST certificate in the Wind Industry Database (WINDA).
The BSTR is for workers whose BST certificate has expired or is about to expire. It covers all the topics in the BST but with a greater focus on refresher content.
The LU training covers the use, maintenance, and pre-use inspection of lifts in wind turbines. This includes both onshore and offshore lifts.
The BTT is for technical workers who need to know the basic technical principles of wind turbines. It covers topics such as nacelle parts, turbine types, generator principles, power transmission, electrical safety, and more, all in three modules.
ART exposes workers to the risks associated with rescue operations and all the precautions to be adhered to to ensure the safe rescue of workers.
The ART-R is an advanced course for workers who have already taken the ART. It includes the Hub, Spinner & Inside Blade Rescue Refresher (HSIBR), and the Nacelle, Tower, Basement Rescue Refresher (NTBRR) training modules.
The EFA is for workers who need to know how to deal with work-related injuries and medical emergencies.
It covers topics such as bleeding control, shock management, burns, spinal injuries, and more.
This is a refresher course for workers with an EFAR certification to sharpen their skills and knowledge.
The BR training covers the basic principles of blade repair.
It includes topics such as damage assessment, handling & storage, repair methods, and more.
The SLS training covers the use of slings and other rigging equipment. It focuses on topics such as hand signals, hitches, lifting methods, and more.
The various topics covered in GWO training include:
Let's discuss what each of these topics entails.
When an accident occurs, the medical assistance administered within the first few minutes can save a life. But if workers are not adequately trained, that's nearly impossible.
Many deaths happen not because the injuries were severe, but because there was nobody nearby to administer the vital life-saving medical intervention needed.
Workers face many potential hazards when working on or around wind turbines, and they need to be able to identify these risks to avoid them. Some of the most common threats include:
Falling from heights: Despite using protective equipment such as a harness, falling is a very common risk. Even if the harness works, the force alone can cause serious damage.
Being struck by an object: Workers are at risk of being hit by flying debris or falling objects.
Electrical hazards: Wind turbines generate a lot of electricity, so workers can be exposed to high voltages from live electrical wires.
Fire hazards: Fires can cause serious harm since wind turbines are in regions with high winds. The workers need to know the first aid treatment to administer to victims in case of a fire.
Exposure to hazardous chemicals: Wind turbines are often treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion. As a result, workers can be exposed to these chemicals when working on or around the turbine.
In order to provide first aid, a basic understanding of human anatomy is needed. This includes knowing where the major organs are located and how they work. First aid training covers this, as well as common injuries and how to treat them. First aid training also covers some of the standard ways that a team member can help another employee in the case of an emergency.
CPR and AED are two of the most critical skills that workers will learn in the First Aid module.
They will learn how to administer CPR and use an AED properly. They will also learn when to use or avoid these techniques. This is valuable skill and knowledge can make a significant difference in the case of an emergency.
Manual handling is the process of lifting, carrying, and moving objects. Unfortunately, it's one of the most common causes of injuries in the workplace.
MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) are common when performing these manual handling tasks. When they happen, it dampens the productivity of workers, or worse, destroys productivity entirely.
MSDs include:
To ease the risk of such injuries, GWO training participants will get training on:
They will also learn how to identify potential hazards associated with manual handling.
At the end of the training, every participant will be trained to:
Another common risk in the workplace is fire. While wind turbines are not particularly susceptible to fires, there is still a chance of a fire breaking out at a work site. And, when they do happen, it can be devastating due to three primary reasons:
This fire awareness and safety training is meant to train workers to spot fire outbreaks and assess their magnitude, source, and cause.
But that's not all.
This safety course also includes training on basic fire fighting techniques to extinguish the fire using basic fire fighting equipment. When all employees at a job site are trained to handle a situation like this, it can help reduce chaos.
The Fire Awareness and Safety module covers:
Instead of relying on a theoretical approach, this training ends with a real-life practical simulation. This cements the theory in the participants' minds so each one is prepared to take action if a fire outbreak happens.
Typically, a wind turbine can reach 60 to 120 meters in height. Workers must climb to such heights to perform maintenance, repairs, or electrical duties. Without a doubt, climbing to such heights is dangerous.
It's even worse if the worker doesn't know how to properly use and maintain equipment such as guard rails, harnesses, rest platforms, personal fall arrest systems, etc.
The danger further escalates if the weather is windy.
So, this training module is focused on teaching workers how to work safely at extreme heights. They will learn:
Every worker must take this training seriously because it could mean the difference between life and death.
This is the last module in the BST, and it focuses on preparing workers for sea survival in case they go to work at an offshore wind farm.
Work such as installing, maintaining, and repairing turbines at offshore wind farms exposes workers to the dangers of drowning, cold shock, hypothermia, etc.
So, workers need to know how to properly use PPE and life-saving appliances (LSAs), how to respond when they or another worker is exposed to these dangers, and how to survive an emergency at sea.
This module covers topics such as:
Enrolling your team in GWO training is easy. Pinnacle Career Institute is an accredited GWO training provider with over a decade of experience training wind turbine technicians. Our state-of-the-art facility features 60-foot outdoor towers, climbing labs, and spacious, comfortable classrooms.
Our GWO Safety Training programs can be customized to fit the needs of your team. We'll even take care of all transportation and lodging arrangements to make things as convenient for your team as possible.
Enroll your team today or contact us for more information about certifying your team through our training packages or customized training options.