Wind Turbine Maintenace Safety Thoughts
A new commercial or industrial wind turbine ought to require little or no maintenance. Manufacturers construct twenty-first century wind turbine blades from composite materials, so that they will not corrode or require replacement; new blades ought to withstand even torturous conditions with little or no routine care. Similarly, reliable wind turbine builders fashion the latest generation of nacelles from rustproof or rust resistant alloys and powder coat the units for maximum durability; the units seal tightly, protecting the working parts inside. And, as with most major machinery, an ordinary wind turbine user will find no user-serviceable parts inside the nacelle. If the unit fails, it will require professional service. Even with all these features designed and guaranteed to keep your wind turbine running smoothly and reliably, the system still requires routine maintenance.
Tower Safety: paramount in wind turbine maintenance
While you plan and prepare for your wind turbine’s installation, take a course in and practice wind tower safety, because the majority of serious wind turbine injuries result from climbing accidents.
Always, as in always always, remember to take your first and most important safety precaution before you strap on your safety harness belt and take your first step up the tower: Shutdown the turbine and furl the blades before you ascend. If you leave the machine running, a sudden shift in the wind’s direction can spin the blades right into you, slicing and dicing you as if you were so much meat and cheese for a chef’s salad.
Invest in good fall protection equipment, especially including a good helmet. Although good safety harness will break your fall and protect most of your body, it will do nothing to keep your scull and brains intact. Rather than shopping for a hardhat, look at helmets for rock climbing or mountaineering, because they will have the design features you need. Put simply, a hard hat will fall off easily as they don’t generally have chin straps. Getting ready to climb, remember to check your lanyard and harness before you strap-in; and, although it seems outrageously silly, make sure you strap-in correctly.
As you climb, work with a “spotter” who can alert you to dangerous conditions or potential problems. Depending on your tower’s design and construction, you may have to check handholds and footsteps as you climb, repairing or correcting defects with nearly every step. As you climb, focus on your next move; do not look all the way to the tower’s top, and steadfastly resist the urge to look down. Your brain and body can imagine you are on solid ground if you control where you direct your sight. When you reach the tower’s top, stay focused on the maintenance tasks you must perform. Unless you know your capacities and limits, and unless you have a great deal of climbing experience, you should resist the nearly overwhelming urge to take-in the view from up there. And, as you descend, resist the temptation to slide or rappel down the tower; for most climbers, coming down is tougher than going up.
Take care of yourself up there.
The higher you climb, the more you expose yourself to the elements. Everything that persuaded you to mount your wind turbine way up in the air is everything that poses a safety risk. The wind blows harder and more steadily up there than it does on the ground, so the chill factor intensifies. Even if your routine maintenance requires relatively delicate work with nuts, bolts, caps, and wires, protect your hands from cold…or heat. In the winter, frostbite can set-in within just a few minutes of removing your gloves. Use gloves with clips if it’s cold so won’t drop them. No matter what season you climb the tower, make sure you stay hydrated, because dehydration mimics intoxication. Also, make sure you stay nourished, because a sugar lull will affect your concentration, balance, and coordination.
Yes, every windsmith has more than a little cowboy in him, and the guys in the crew compete fiercely to see who emerges as “the alpha dog.” Know both your body’s limits and the limits of your luck. Sometimes, routine wind turbine maintenance does require calculated risk; it never requires recklessness.
Intuition taught you these fundamental Truths of wind turbine maintenance before you even came on the job. While you do the job, use what you know.
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