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Renewable Energy Industry Safety Accord Announced

1 July 2011

Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Health & Safety Accord
“Looking for Excellence – Learning from Experience”

RenewableUK, the country’s largest wind and marine energy trade association, is delighted to announce the agreement and publication of a new health and safety accord dedicated to addressing the specific challenges and opportunities for the offshore wind and marine energy sector.

The Accord is not only the first of its type in the UK, but also, we believe, a global first for the renewable energy sector. It underpins our commitment to help members continue to make the UK the leading safe and responsible jurisdiction in which to do business.

In particular, it provides opportunities to:

  • Demonstrate clear and visible leadership on health and safety
  • Show an industry fully engaged in self regulation by confronting the key health and safety challenges ahead
  • Take a proactive stance on health and safety to prevent and minimise current and future risks.

The Accord, was drawn up by RenewableUK’s health and safety working groups - primarily the Offshore Wind and Marine Health & Safety group. It is the result of active engagement with key stakeholders such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as well as having the strong leadership and support of The Crown Estate.

Speaking at RenewableUK’s annual Offshore Wind conference in Liverpool, Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive of RenewableUK, said: “The Accord demonstrates our unqualified commitment to health and safety – evidence that this is, and always will be, our number one priority. This has followed extensive engagement with key stakeholders such as the Health and Safety Executive and The Crown Estate. I would like to appeal to all our members to support and sign up to the Accord.”

The Crown Estate’s Director of the Marine Estate, Rob Hastings, said: “The Crown Estate welcomes this Accord. It demonstrates health and safety industry leadership, essential in delivering marine renewable energy. The accord will support the UK retaining its global leadership for investment in these growth industries.”

A copy of the Accord can be found below.

For further information, please contact:

To sign up to the Accord please send confirmation of your intention to sign to Gabrielle Lynch at g.lynch@renewable-uk.com. In return for your confirmation you will be provided with a certificate of support and a logo to confirm your active participation and support. Further details of related marketing and promotional initiatives in support of the Accord will then follow.

Notes:

  1. RenewableUK is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with 664 corporate members, RenewableUK is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK. Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change.
  2. RenewableUK is actively engaged in promoting health and safety across the sector and specifically to “Ensure that Health & Safety is top priority in the wind, wave & tidal industry and that best practice is applied to ensure the good reputation of renewable generation is maintained.”

 

Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Health & Safety Accord
“Looking for Excellence – Learning from Experience”

As a signatory to this accord [AN Offshore Ltd] are demonstrating our public commitment and support to delivering health and safety (H&S) excellence in the UK offshore renewable energy sector in order to continue to make the UK a leader as a safe and responsible jurisdiction in which to do business.

We are proud to state our support to a common set of shared values and principles to enable continual improvement in H&S performance. These are:

  1. LEADERSHIP
    Taking the responsibility and ownership for leading and directing the H&S agenda as shown by the visible and active commitment of our senior management. This aims to promote the right attitudes and cultures leading to mutual trust, cooperation and a shared understanding to work for the common best interest of all.
  1. EXCELLENCE
    Ensuring we apply a suitable and effective H&S risk management approach to preventing and mitigating risks throughout a project’s lifecycle and in doing so continually promote and influence high standards at every opportunity, including adapting to new and emerging risks where they develop.
  1. ENGAGEMENT
    Adopting a positive approach to worker engagement and equality through promoting a sense of shared values and responsibilities for improving H&S performance and extending this to a co-operative partnership with our contracting partners and stakeholders.
  1. HEALTH & WELL-BEING
    Adopting a proactive approach to managing the health & well being of every employee by recognising their specific needs and capabilities and that we will provide the necessary help and support to give this effect.
  1. SKILLS & TRAINING COMPETENCE
    Ensuring that we strive for the highest standards of H&S competence by investing in the skills and training necessary for every individual working in the sector.
  1. SHARING & LEARNING
    Committing to monitoring our performance and sharing best practice where able to enable lessons to be learnt and good industry practice to be widely communicated for the mutual benefit of everyone.