Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Peer-Reviewed
Wind Turbine
Safety
Developing
a Technician
Training Course
By Isaac Slaven and Ed Dennis
T
he growth of the wind energy industry 2,000 were classified as contact with equipment;
in the U.S. has created the need for quali- falls; exposure to harmful substances or environ-
fied technicians to perform maintenance ments; and fires or explosions.
and operation activities. American Wind Energy This article describes how a course was adapted
Association (AWEA, 2010) has to be more specific to the high-risk nature of wind
IN BRIEF identified several wind turbine turbine work while covering OSHA-10 general in-
The wind turbine industry has grown technician training programs in dustry and OSHA-10 construction topics.
significantly in recent years, and pro- the U.S. The AWEA Seal of Ap- Specifically, the authors share the experience of
jections say it will continue to do so. proval for these programs looks developing a wind power course at Ivy Tech Com-
Many training programs for wind tur- to be an important step in their munity College in Lafayette, IN. The course serves
bine technicians have begun across standardization (Interstate Re- as an introduction to the wind industry and wind
the U.S. newable Energy Council, 2009). turbine safety. It was designed to ensure that the
This article examines the develop- The importance of training topics and activities presented are relevant to the
ment of a safety course for prospec- is mentioned more than 850 wind technician field and to increase student inter-
tive wind technicians. The goal was times in OSHA standards. The est in safety.
to increase student interest in safety agencys authority to enforce
topics related to the wind turbine safety regulations dates back to Wind Turbine Safety
industry and to maintain the material the 1970s, yet fatalities and cita- The four leading causes of death during construc-
within the OSHA-10 topics guidelines. tions occur every day due to fac- tion activities in the U.S. are falls, hit by/struck by,
tors such as failure to properly caught between and electrical injuries. These haz-
execute risk assessment and use ards account for 90% of workplace fatalities. As a
PPE. In 2010, 4,547 people died in the workplace result, OSHA has adopted a focused inspection ini-
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). Of these, nearly tiative. All four of these dangers are inherent to work
Isaac Slaven, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Eastern Illinois Uni- Ed Dennis is the safety director at Wind Energy Services in Westfield,
versity (EIU) in the applied engineering technology program within IN. He currently holds OSHA 500, OSHA 501, OSHA 3150 (tower
the School of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University. safety), and cranes and rigging certifications. Dennis has worked in
Prior to joining the EIU faculty, Slaven developed the sustainable the tower industry for nearly 20 years and has worked with the wind
energy program at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette, IN. industry for approximately 5 years.