Worker Health and Safety on Offshore Wind Farms - Special Report 310 (2013) / Chapter Skim
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4 Regulations and Best Practices Addressing Unique Offshore Wind Farm Worker Safety and Health Hazards
4 Regulations and Best Practices Addressing Unique Offshore Wind Farm Worker Safety and Health Hazards
Pages 83-107
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From page 83... ...
, but the overall risk to health and safety associated with oil and gas hazards is greater than that associated with offshore wind hazards. Chapter 2 also established that offshore wind turbines share designs and characteristics with land-based turbines and that the development of offshore wind farms involves many of the same tasks and hazards as that of land-based wind farms.
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From page 84... ...
The second section discusses hazards that the committee judges to be unique to offshore wind development and describes current regulations, standards, and industry best practices that offer controls for reducing risk. Hazards on Wind Farms Chapter 2 introduced many of the hazards that personnel confront during the wind farm life cycle.
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From page 85... ...
USACE EM 385-1-1, Section 16, Cranes and Hoisting Equipment IMCA SEL 019, Guidelines for Lifting Operations 46 CFR Subchapter I, Cargo and Miscellaneous Vessels 30 CFR 250, Subpart A, Oil and Gas Operations on the OCS 29 CFR 1926, Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction HSE, United Kingdom, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 ASTM F1166-2007 -- Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment, and Facilities (Section 16.8 for design) Diving 46 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter V, Part 197, Marine Occupational Safety and Health Standards USACE EM 385-1-1, Section 30, Diving Operations ADCI (2011)
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From page 86... ...
Emergency evacuation or 33 CFR 146, Emergency Evacuation Plan emergency egress 29 CFR 1910.38, Emergency Action Plans 29 CFR 1917.30, Emergency Action Plans 29 CFR 1918.100, Emergency Action Plans 29 CFR 1926.35, Employee Emergency Action Plans RenewableUK, Guidelines for Onshore and Offshore Wind Farms: Health and Safety in the Wind Energy Industry Sector, Issue 1: 2010 ANSI/ASSE A10.26:2011 -- Emergency Procedures for Construction and Demolition Sites Falls, working at heights, ANSI/ASSE Z359 -- Fall Protection/Arrest use of personnel lifts, ANSI/ASSE A10.32-2004 -- Fall Protection Systems rope access EN 353-1:2002, Personal Protective Equipment Against Falls from a Height ASTM F1166-2007 -- Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment, and Facilities (Section 18.8) 29 CFR 1926.500, Subpart M, Fall Protection RenewableUK, Lifts in Wind Turbines, Health and Safety, February 2011 ASME/ANSI A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators EN 81: Safety Rules for the Construction and Installation of Lifts Fires in or on offshore wind 33 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Part 145, Fire-Fighting Equipment turbines and substations NFPA, Codes and Standards (e.g., NFPA 12 -- Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems)
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From page 87... ...
IEC 61400-1: 2005, Wind Turbines -- Part 1: Design Requirements BS EN 50308, Wind Turbines: Protective Measures: Requirements for Design, Operation and Maintenance Slips and trips ASTM F1166-2007 -- Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment, and Facilities (Section 11) ASTM F1637-2010 -- Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces 29 CFR 1910.21-30, Subpart D, Walking–Working Surfaces ANSI A1264.1, Safety Requirements for Workplace Walking/Working Surfaces and Their Access; Workplace, Floor, Wall and Roof Openings; Stairs and Guardrails Note: ADCI = Association of Diving Contractors International, Inc.; ANSI = American National Standards Institute; API = American Petroleum Institute; ASME = American Society of Mechanical Engineers; ASSE = American Society of Safety Engineers; ASTM = American Society for Testing and Materials; AWEA = American Wind Energy Association; BS = British Standard; CFR = Code of Federal Regulations; CPL = Compliance Directive; DNV = Det Norske Veritas; EN = European Norm; FAA = Federal Aviation Administration; GL = Germanischer Lloyd; HSE = Health and Safety Executive; IEC = International Electrotechnical Commission; IMCA = International Marine Contractors Association; OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration; NFPA = National Fire Protection Association; RP = Recommended Practice; USACE = U.S.
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From page 88... ...
Uncoordinated opera tions that lead to injuries to the diver are another hazard. • Electrical safety on offshore wind turbines and substations: Working with high-voltage systems that expose personnel to electrical energy involves such hazards as electrical shocks, electrical burns, arc flashes (burns and blasts)
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From page 89... ...
Many of these hazards -- such as confined space entry, crane and lifting operations, electrical injury, working at heights, fire protection, human factors safety issues, and slips and trips -- are common to land-based wind farms and are addressed by federal regulations and industry consensus standards, examples of which are included in Table 4-1.
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From page 90... ...
access by Boat and Personnel transfer Of the numerous hazards (see Table 4-1) associated with offshore wind farms, transferring personnel from a shoreside facility to the transfer vessel and then from the transfer vessel to the wind turbine poses significant risk.
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From page 91... ...
,2 which translates into an industry total of many potential transfers, given that Europe alone reports more than 1,660 offshore turbines installed and connected at 55 wind farms as of December 31, 2012 (EWEA 2013)
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From page 92... ...
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) offers a guidance document for the safe transfer of personnel at sea, especially transfers between vessels and between vessels and offshore structures, through a variety of methods including crew boats and offshore support vessels (IMCA 2010)
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From page 93... ...
summarizes current guidance on health and safety concerns arising during the life cycle of onshore and offshore wind farms and describes the most important issues relevant to industry health and safety. The guidelines cover topics similar to those addressed by the IMCA guidance document (discussed above)
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From page 94... ...
The recommendations do not constitute a definitive list and are based on the experience of wind farm operators in the United Kingdom. The following is a partial list of recommended requirements for ladder access and egress: • Optimally positioned ladders to take advantage of sea state, • Placement of rest platforms on transition pieces if ladders exceed a certain length, • Installation of two fenders to protect the ladder during boat landing, • Inclusion of lifting equipment (davit or winch)
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From page 95... ...
With an increasing number of offshore turbines planned farther out at sea, industry is attempting to extend the weather window for serving turbines. For European operations, mainly in the North Sea, commonly used technology allows safe transfers with significant wave heights up to 1.5 meters, for an average window of 210 days per year.
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From page 96... ...
Because site conditions and equipment at offshore wind farms can vary, attempting to mandate one design over another might be difficult. Summary The committee is unaware of any U.S.
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From page 97... ...
Although these regulations are undergoing revision at the time of this report, Part 197 would apply to diving operations for offshore wind farms. The regulations require assignment of roles and responsibilities 7 J
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From page 98... ...
The regulations in 29 CFR 1910 include requirements for diver experience and operational procedures and would apply to wind farm operations occurring within state waters. Minimum training requirements and the condition that assignments be based on a diver's experi
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From page 99... ...
A manual that contains the roles and responsibilities of the diving team and that describes the safety practices, equipment, and emergency procedures for all diving operations must be developed and maintained. Predive procedures (§1910.421)
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From page 100... ...
The remaining sections of the ADCI standards provide a broad list of requirements for commercial diving operations. For example, Section 4 defines the various diving modes and sets forth minimum personnel and equipment requirements and operational guidelines for each mode.
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From page 101... ...
Multiple agencies promulgate federal diving regulations, including USCG, OSHA, USDON, and USACE, but diving operations for offshore wind farms would need to comply with the USCG regulations in 46 CFR 197. The federal rulemaking process can be long and arduous, which is why USCG's forthcoming revisions of diving regulations have taken several years.
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From page 102... ...
Emergency evacuation drills corresponding to the EEP should occur on a regular basis and must be documented in a logbook. The EEP is for manned facilities and may not apply to offshore wind farms, although it could provide a template for future plans if offshore substations are manned or have emergency accommodations.
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From page 103... ...
addressing all emergency situations that may occur during the wind farm development process. However, all offshore renewable energy developers and operators in the United Kingdom are required to formulate ERPs by using the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA's)
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From page 104... ...
Whether operators of offshore wind farms will be required to follow USCG regulations is unclear, since offshore turbines are unmanned. RenewableUK offers a more detailed ERP guideline -- based on MCA's emergency response template -- that must address all emergency situations that could occur during the wind farm development life cycle.
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From page 105... ...
EEPs are a required SMS element, and both USCG and OSHA mandate plans for various industries, but elements from the federal regulations are for manned facilities and may not be relevant to offshore wind farms. RenewableUK's guidelines document includes information on emergency evacuations pertaining to wind farms and is a good resource for industry.
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From page 106... ...
2010. Guidelines for Onshore and Offshore Wind Farms: Health and Safety in the Wind Energy Industry Sector.
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From page 107... ...
2012b. Vessel Safety Guide: Guidance for Offshore Renewable Energy Devel opers.
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