The UK Government's Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety notice concerning service lifts in onshore and offshore wind turbines, highlighting potential risks stemming from inadequate design and safeguards.
HSE identified a lack of defined industry standards for the safe design of service lifts within wind turbines, leading to disparities in the application of necessary safeguards by designers and manufacturers.
“This is a potential risk to users,” the HSE stated, emphasizing the urgency of addressing hazards related to design, guarding, and control positioning.
Duty holders responsible for wind turbine operation, as well as employers of individuals conducting maintenance activities, are urged to promptly assess the design of gates, associated guarding, and the positioning of external lift controls.
“If existing guarding or the position of the external controls is inadequate, controls should be repositioned and sufficient guarding installed,” advised HSE.
The notice follows an incident where a turbine service technician sustained serious injuries due to a hand trapped between fixed and moving parts of a service lift.
The technician inadvertently placed his hand into an aperture while activating the lift using external controls, resulting in crushing injuries as the lift descended.
Design flaws in the landing gates and associated guarding failed to prevent access to the moving lift car, exacerbating the risk of injury.
Furthermore, non-compliance with established standards for reach distances contributed to the inadequate positioning of external controls, according to HSE.
“An absence of defined industry standards for the safe design of service lifts within wind turbines has resulted in discrepancies in the application of required safeguards by designers and manufacturers,” stated HSE, reiterating the imperative of addressing design hazards promptly.
The safety notice underscores the critical need for industry stakeholders to prioritize safety standards and implement necessary measures to mitigate risks associated with wind turbine service lifts.
