What are the differing challenges between onshore and offshore wind farm safety?
RM. Main challenges in offshore wind farm safety are those related to accessibility – there is no 100 percent safe way to access a wind turbine. The usual way is to carry technicians on a boat from the coast to the turbine. Depending on the distance and the sea conditions this trip can lead to tiredness and sickness. When the boat is close to the turbine, there is a risk in the manoeuvre of transferring those from the boat to the turbine. This operation can only be done when currents and wave levels allow for it – less than two meters waves. Many efforts are taking place in order to develop safer access methods but an optimum solution has not been found yet. When the sea is rough and boat access is impossible, a helicopter can be used to transfer the technicians from the coast to the turbine. In this case, the helicopter unloads the tech upon a platform situated on top of the nacelle. There is an obvious risk factor in this operation. This leads to higher demands with respect to traini
