By Kevin Denis
There are significant benefits to understanding fall protection and rescue systems as a whole and designing, planning and purchasing accordingly.
Over the last few years, several thousand miles, four different countries and more ladders and lifts than one cares to mention, new themes in fall protection and rescue have appeared in the wind industry. Fall protection program administrators have done a good job of acquiring and providing fall protection equipment and training for workers at height on turbines, yet there is still work to be done. As fall protection and rescue issues come to light, a systems approach to designing fall protection and rescue systems needs to occur.
This theme is not dissimilar to other industries and is very common as any industry grows and matures. As issues arise, they are handled on an individual basis. For instance, wind turbines needed an anchorage point, so one was designed, and new regulations required maximum arrest forces to be controlled, so a different energy-absorbing lanyard was purchased. In addition, rescue was an issue, so ropes were purchased with the assumption that the same anchorages can be used.
Over time, the fall protection and rescue system is pieced together by two or three different people, creating a situation that may introduce several issues. A singular focus on each individual part of the fall protection and rescue system can address fall hazards, but there is significant benefit to understanding the system as a whole and designing, planning and purchasing accordingly. Equipment designers, turbine manufacturers, program administrators and end users must take a systems approach to fall protection.
Reprinted with permission from the June 2008 issue of North American WindPower. To read the full article, click the PDF icon to the right.
Protecting Workers at Heights
Gravitec meets the unforgiving nature of working at height with an uncompromising commitment to professionalism and quality. It is our mission to provide a full range of high-quality fall protection and rescue services worldwide. The core elements of our business include training, engineering, testing, consulting and equipment sales.