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BWEA Health & Safety Seminar - Online proceedings available.

Health & Safety

BWEA is committed to ensuring that Health & Safety (“H&S”) 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. This is delivered through our Health and Safety Strategy Group and specifically the agreed strategic objectives which for 2009 are to:

  1. Provide strategic leadership to the UK wind, wave & tidal industry in the support of best practice H&S issues;
  2. Promote the successful role of H&S in delivering a safe and sustainable future for the UK industry;
  3. Engage and support industry leaders in promoting and championing H&S throughout their organisations and the industry supply chain;
  4. Bring together relevant skills and expertise to discuss, prioritise and initiate work needed to update BWEA H&S guidance for the industry;
  5. Develop and implement measures that will enable the industry to share and benefit from individual members H&S experiences;
  6. Produce and promote common standards , guidance and training to assist in minimising the risks of incidents throughout the life phases of wind, wave & tidal projects;
  7. Review H&S experience from other allied sectors in order to introduce appropriate practices to the industry;
  8. Review current and forthcoming H&S legislation standards and ensure that BWEA guidance reflects such statutory requirements;
  9. Engage and cooperate with key H&S stakeholders and like minded organisations; and
  10. Promote communication to the BWEA Board , the wider industry membership and external agencies on H&S issues.

These objectives are delivered through the Strategy Group and the support sub groups covering:

  • Lessons Learn Database;
  • Wind Turbine Safety Rules;
  • Training;
  • Public Safety;
  • Occupational Health; and
  • Communications and Events

Members are invited to consider participation in these groups, subject to availability of places and the terms of reference of subgroups. Further details are available from Chris Streatfeild, Director of Health and Safety at BWEA at c.streatfeild@bwea.com.

Recent News and Information

Standards for Access Lifts in Wind Turbines: HSE Positioning Letter
BWEA have received a letter from the HSE setting out their general position on Access Lifts in Turbines. Click here to download (PDF Format). It was discussed at the recent Health and Safety Strategy Group Meeting held on 10 June 2009. BWEA welcome the general principles set out by the HSE however there remain both technical and legal points of ambiguity where further clarification is likely to be required.

If you have any questions or views on this matter then please get in touch with Chris Streatfeild, Director of Health and Safety at BWEA (c.streatfeild@bwea.com). BWEA will be approaching the HSE on behalf of members to consider any formal response in the near future.

Personal Fall Protection Equipment – Guided Type Fall Arresters: UK Formal Objection to EN 353-1: 2002
The UK has recently made a Formal Objection to the European Standard EN 353-1: 2002.  At the PPE Expert Working Group a majority decision of member states was reached that the standard did not meet the relevant basic health and safety requirements of the PPE Directive and as such its reference in the official journal should be removed (thus removing the presumption of conformity). Although this Working Group has reached a majority decision, the final decision on the UK formal objection lies with the 98/34/EC Committee.  It is expected to meet during the summer. BWEA will also be making representation to the HSE and Department for Business Innovation and Skills (Formerly BERR). BWEA will notify members of the outcome of any decisions taken. BWEA has received a copy of the HSE submission to committee 98/34 on this matter. Click here to download (PDF Format).

This position does not materially change the advice issued by the HSE which BWEA notified members of on 22 December 2008. (Details at http://www.bwea.com/membersarea/alerts.asp).

Guidelines for Health and Safety in the Marine Energy Industry – NEW publication October 2008
BWEA is pleased to present its guidelines for wave and tidal energy devices. This guide directs all those involved in developing wave and tidal energy devices and projects towards the current H&S legislation and industry best practice. These guidelines were produced with the support of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and their project for a suite of wave and tidal guidelines funded by the Scottish Government and Department for Energy and Climate Change. We would like to thank Searoc as the main authors and also ORECon for all their efforts in producing these guidelines. Click here to download (PDF format)

Guidelines for Health & Safety in the Wind Energy Industry – October 2008 revision
The text of the April 2005 Guidelines has been updated to reflect changes in legislation, progress with BWEA initiatives and experience gained over the last three years as the wind energy sector continues to grow. The Guidelines were formally launched at BWEA 30. Readers are invited to forward any revisions to the document to safety@bwea.com

If you have any thoughts on further content of this web site area please send your ideas to Chris Streatfeild, BWEA Director of Health and Safety.