Major Hazards in the Wind Turbine Industry

Major Hazards in the Wind Turbine

The wind turbine industry is growing fast and overlooking safety can lead to disaster. This article focuses on Major Hazards in the Wind Turbine that workers in the industry can be exposed to and how to avoid fatal injuries.

Wind turbines continue to get massive recognition both in India and worldwide as a clean source of energy. As a result of its rapid growth, thousands of industrial workers have been employed to either install or maintain the enormous electricity generators. In as much as these jobs might pay high, they are also very dangerous and without proper industrial workwear in India, the consequences can be catastrophic.

That is why employee safety should be the responsibility of all players in the wind turbine industry. Since the installation of 45000 new wind turbines in 2012 the numbers have increased significantly and their numbers continue to rise on an annual basis. These new installations can only mean that more employees are going to be put at risk, therefore, there is an immediate need for industrial workwear in India now more than ever.

Below are some of the top potential hazards that workers in the wind turbines may be exposed to:

Falling

Falling is one of the major hazards that workers employed in the wind turbine industry are exposed to. In as much as managers try to enforce safety measures such as wearing protective gear while working, there are still many challenges and the risk of falling is still quite real. Even though there is no specific time that a fall can occur, the biggest risk occurs during turbine installation. Workers need to climb up carefully during installation to make sure that everything is in order. During this time failure to secure themselves on the turbine and a single bad step can be disastrous.

The problem with falling is that you don’t have to go all the way to the ground to be injured. Even if you have the right harnesses and wearing the best protective gear, a slight slip of a ladder or a ledge can still be fatal. The harness system may catch the worker in such a way that one could get a whiplash or even worse — broken bones due to the massive force.

Narrow Spaces

It is very common for people to ignore talking about narrow spaces as a hazard in their conversations about wind turbine safety. However, there are four main places that employees may go where they can be confined. They include:

• The Tower: A turbine consists of a very large vertical tower that is confined. If a worker needs to perform a specific operation such as an installation process or repair, they may become trapped or else get injured in the process.

• The Hub: A hub is that part which is fixed to the nacelle. It is very narrow and workers can get trapped inside or they may be in danger.

• Nacelle: The part of the turbine where most of the electrical components are held is known as the nacelle. Employees have to go to the nacelle often especially when they need to do some kind of troubleshooting or such. Either way, the place is quite small and workers can get trapped inside or even get electrocuted.

• Blades: The blades are usually fixed to the hub. Employees can go into this area if they want to make the blades tight or do other maintenance work. The spaces between them are very thin and qualify as a confined place.

Electrocution

Electrocution is also a major hazard since wind turbines have the ability to produce huge amounts of electricity. Workers that are directly involved with handling electrical equipment should be most careful. They need to make sure that the generation of electricity has stopped before they proceed with their duties. They also need to wear the right protective clothing and gear to avoid any damage.

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Fire Hazard

Whenever there is electricity the chances of a fire occurring are also very high. A fire could be started by friction on the moving part which can be due to lack of lubrication. Fire can also start because of overloading electrical parts or the turbine being hit by lightning. If a fire starts and there are workers at the top of the turbine it could be very challenging for them to escape.

Fire safety should be a top priority especially for workers assigned near the turbine. Employers, on the other hand, should make sure that they have the requisite resources to handle a fire emergency. This can be done by either using parachutes or using an emergency drop line.

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Parts in Motion

Moving parts are another top concern for workers in the wind turbine industry. Despite the fact that turbines are massive, they have the ability to make small objects move and generate electricity. If any employee gets hit by any part of these moving objects, they may sustain serious injuries or even lead to death. Employees should be very cautious about moving objects such as the blades or the gear. Failure may lead to equipment or clothes getting stuck which may get them off guard or pull them in.