Right now only about 10% of the UK’s energy consumption is currently supplied by renewable sources, but some experts think this will rise to somewhere around 30% over by 2020. That’s a lot of green electricity, and most of it will come from wind turbines. The UK is already a world leader in using wind to generate electricity – after all, it’s something we’ve got plenty of, unlike sunshine!
More wind turbines means more people working at height. As anyone who has been up near the business end of a full scale wind turbine knows, there are added elements of danger in the wind power industry. Aside from the serious fall protection systems required by the colossal scale of the infrastructure, the wind is a factor to consider.
With simple, low to medium level roof safety, there is usually only gravity to worry about. The biggest wind turbines are almost 200m tall and built in windy places. The forces required to move the blades are huge, and those are the same forces that act on the people working at height on the turbines. Fall protection and movement systems for use in the wind power sector must meet the most demanding requirements.
There’s no doubt that the growth of the wind power will mean more work for companies like us over the next few years. Many more workers will need to be trained and kitted out to build and take care of all the new turbines. Height safety systems will need to be put in place for each one.