A fire truck flipped to its side during training near runway 19 at the Mitchell International Airport briefly stopping flights

Training mishap closes Milwaukee's airport
Friday, August 28, 2015 4 p.m. CDT



MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Wheeler News Service)

Mitchell International Airport briefly stopped flights Friday after an accident during a training exercise.

Airport officials said incoming and outgoing flights were halted for about 30 minutes after an emergency services truck overturned. A fire truck turned over on its side near runway 19, and all plane movements on runways and tarmac were stopped as emergency personnel responded.

Airport crews said the truck was the only vehicle involved, and a member of the airport's fire department was taken to a medical facility for evaluation.

Fire forces dozens from Bustleton apartments in Philadelphia, PA

A fast-moving fire forced dozens of people out of their homes in the Philadelphia's Bustleton section.

Updated 2 hrs 21 mins ago

BUSTLETON (WPVI) --

A fast-moving fire forced dozens of people out of their homes in Philadelphia's Bustleton section.

The blaze broke out after 3:00 a.m. at the Beechwood Gardens Apartments on the 9800 block of Haldeman Avenue.

Firefighters had to battle smoke and flames before getting the blaze under control around 4:00 a.m.

Residents told Action News they were woken up by the smoke alarms.

A 29-year-old man was taken to Aria Hospital Torresdale for smoke inhalation.

He is listed in stable condition.

Ten apartments were damaged by smoke and water.

Twenty-four people were displaced, but only ten needed assistance from the Red Cross.

So far, there is no word on what sparked the blaze.

Woman charged on Long Island of intentionally running down pedestrian with car

Saturday, August 29, 2015 12:50PM

ISLIP, N.Y. --

Police say a woman has been charged with assault for intentionally striking a pedestrian with her car.

They said Kendra Sterling hit Shaquita Passmore as she was attempting to cross Wheeler Road in Islip on the South Shore of Long Island around 5:35 p.m. Friday.

Sterling, of Brentwood, then fled the scene where the 24-year-old was involved in a multi-vehicle crash.

Police said 27-year-old Passmore, of Central Islip, was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening and facial injuries. They said there were no injuries to the drivers and passengers of the cars in the crash.

It is not known if and how the two women knew one another.

Police charged Sterling with second degree assault. She is scheduled for arraignment Saturday. It wasn't immediately known if Sterling has an attorney.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS ARE ON THE RISE: Worker walking to his work was killed by young car driver who was reaching for a can of soda and became distracted, drifting off to the side of the road, hitting and killing the worker

Posted on August 29, 2015
by Times of Wayne County 

GALEN, NEW YORK

 

Every morning in good weather, Merced Miranda, age 58, walked from his residence at 9996 Terpening Road in the Town of Galen to work down the road at the A.N. Martin Grain Systems, a quarter mile trip. Sometimes with friends and co-workers – sometimes alone.

Merced was alone on Thursday morning at 6:01, walking northbound when he was struck from behind by a vehicle operated by Alvin Horning, age 24, of Ryder Road in Newark, also on his way to work at a nearby business.

Merced was taken by ambulance to Newark Wayne Hospital where he was pronounced dead from massive injuries.

Both Merced’s sons also work with him at A.N. Martin Grain Systems. They were out of town on a project for the company at the time of the accident and were called immediately by co-workers.

According to the Company owner, Jason Martin, Merced had been working for him since 2013, seasonally from April through December, before moving on for other seasonal jobs. Martin said Merced was sending almost his entire paycheck back to Mexico to help pay for cancer treatments for another son. According to police, Horning was reaching for a can of soda and became distracted, drifting off to the side of the road, hitting Miranda. The car received heavy front-end damage and was towed from the scene. The accident is still under investigation, but no charges are pending at this time.

52-year-old Gilberto Valenzuela charged of theft by a public servant, after more than 60 high-tech items belonging to the city of Austin, Texas were stolen and pawned.

Austin tech worker charged with stealing, pawning equipment 

Posted: August 29, 2015



AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - 

A city technology worker in Austin has been accused of stealing and pawning nearly $177,000 worth of computer and audio items.

Travis County jail records show 52-year-old Gilberto Valenzuela was being held Saturday on a charge of theft by a public servant. Investigators believe more than 60 high-tech items belonging to the city were stolen and pawned.

An Austin police detective monitoring pawn shop transactions noticed Valenzuela was paid more than $100,000. More than 30 pieces of computer and audio equipment were pawned since July.

An affidavit says some pawned items matched serial numbers of equipment missing from the Austin Convention Center and the Palmer Events Center.

Online jail records do not list an attorney to speak for Valenzuela, who resigned Aug. 14 and was arrested Thursday.

3 people were hospitalized in Fort Myers, Florida for carbon monoxide poisoning at a construction site, businesses, roads closed

HAZMAT incident closes downtown businesses, roads 


AUGUST 29, 2015


Fort Myers, Florida
 
Several roads and businesses in downtown Fort Myers were evacuated this afternoon due to a HAZMAT incident at a construction site.

Three people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and transported to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown. A fourth was treated and released, according to the Fort Myers Fire Department.

The scene has since cleared and all roads are open.

An explosion and fire at an oilsands plant in northern Alberta owned by Syncrude Canada

EDMONTON, CANADA

Access to Syncrude Canada’s Mildred Lake oilsands site has been restricted following a fire at the northern Alberta facility Saturday morning.

A spokesperson with Syncrude Canada said there was a “process incident” sometime before 8 a.m. Saturday, which led to the fire. It was quickly extinguished by the company’s fire department, Will Gibson said over the phone from Fort McMurray Saturday morning.



“It was all in an area of our Mildred Lake upgrading complex, which is a large area, but it was contained to one particular area,’ said Gibson. “Work is still going on at some parts of our site, but obviously the area that was affected by the fire, that area has been frozen so we can start an investigation.


“I’m not aware of any impacts to air quality, adverse impacts to air quality and that’s something that we would be monitoring.”

The site, located 40 kilometres north of Fort MuMurray, was only open to “essential Syncrude personnel” on Saturday. At this point it’s not known exactly what caused the fire. Gibson said it was too early to tell if production would be impacted.

“It’s going to take time to assess what, if any, impact there will be on front line or production.”

Saturday’s fire at the Mildred Lake facility comes about three weeks after 30 blue herons were found dead at the site. A few days later the company was issued an environmental protection order form the Alberta Energy Regulator.


No one was injured in the incident and all workers were accounted for. Gibson said the restricted access to the site made for some traffic tie ups north of Fort McMurray Saturday morning. Explosion at Syncrude oilsands site

by 660News Staff

Posted August 29, 2015




John Knox @ Rock 97.9


Summary


Explosion at Syncrude oilsands site


There are no reports of injuries after an early morning explosion at an oilsands plant in northern Alberta owned by Syncrude Canada.

The explosion happened between 5:30 and 6 Saturday morning.

According to listeners to our sister station in Fort McMurray, contractors are being turned away at the gates, but Syncrude employees are being allowed on site.

Listeners also say traffic is backed up on Highway 63 just north of the municipality.

It sounds like all staff at the plant have been accounted for.

This comes just a day after the Alberta Energy Regulator ordered Nexen Energy to shut down 95 of the company’s plants due to compliance issues with pipeline maintenance.

CAUSE AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF FAILURE OF GEARED WIND TURBINES, Part 1

CAUSE AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF FAILURE OF GEARED WIND TURBINES, Part 1








Wind turbine on fire



The geared wind turbines continue to be plagued by numerous gearbox (more accurately the bearings within the gearbox), blade, mechanical, weather-related (e.g. lightning), design and maintenance issues. The failure of the bearings located within the gearbox is the most significant problem associated with the turbines This year, Siemens, a main manufacturer of wind turbines, reported a charge of 48 million Euros for inspecting and replacing defective main bearings in some onshore wind turbines. Structural and mechanical failures (which can result in a tower collapse) are primarily due to control system errors and lack of effective maintenance. If it was not for the government subsidizing of these systems, they would have never been built that way. This blog addresses the major causes of failure of wind turbines.

Wind turbines generate electricity through the wind-induced rotation of two to three aerodynamic blades located around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft that is connected to a generator that in turn spins to create electricity. We have seen wind turbines smaller than 100 kW and as large as 6,000 kW. The wind turbines can generate electricity to run a single piece of equipment (e.g. a water irrigation pump) at a particular facility or can produce electricity for sale to a power grid. The annual wind turbine capacity of the United States continues to grow exponentially. This growth is fueled by investment tax credits, federal goals of mandatory generation of electricity from renewable sources, rising energy demand, and other factors.

The biggest wind turbine manufacturers include General Electric, Vestas, Siemens, Clipper, Mitsubishi, Suzlon, Alstom, and Gamesa.










Crews lift a blade assembly onto the nacelle of Gamesa's G9X-2.0-megawatt turbine at the NWTC.



The main components of a wind turbine system are:

· Tower, made from tubular steel, concrete, or steel lattice;

· Foundation for the turbine’s tower, nacelle and rotor blades;

· Nacelle; it houses the mechanical, electrical, electronic and other components of the turbine;

· Rotor Blades that rotate and cause the rotor to spin;

· Transformer;

· Generator that produces AC electricity from mechanical (rotational) energy; usually an induction generator;

· Rotor; it is formed by the blades and the hub;

· Brake that stops the rotor;

· Tail, but not all turbine types have tails;

· Gearbox that changes between the low and high gear shaft to increase the rotational speed to 1,000-1,800 rpm;

· Electronic control panel ;

· Shafts (low and high speed) connecting the rotor to the generator

· Blade power control system (controls the blade pitch and the yaw);

· Anemometer (wind speed control) and wind vane (wind direction control)

·




Anatomy of a wind turbine



A commercial, utility-scale wind energy generation facility typically consists of tens to hundreds of wind turbines capable of generating hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy. In addition to the wind turbines, other facilities associated with a wind farm project include access roads, temporary crane paths, underground power collection lines, aboveground generation tie lines (gen-tie), collector substations, interconnection switch yard, several permanent and temporary meteorological towers, and operations and maintenance building.









A 6,000-kW offshore wind turbine



The useful life of these wind turbines is supposed to be 20 years. However, the turbines have been plagued by numerous problems and this 20-year life is rather a utopia than anything else. Gearboxes and bearings in wind turbines, more than those in any other application, tend to fail prematurely. In fact, at some wind projects, up to half of all bearings inside the gearboxes fail within a few years. There are several reasons for this, including the poor understanding of gear functioning during storms and gusty winds, relative immaturity of the technology and industry, the rapid evolution of turbines to extra-large sizes, poor understanding of turbine loads, and an emerging (and largely unexplained) failure mode in turbine bearings called axial cracking.










Axial cracking in the gearbox of the wind turbine




The fact that the manufacturers of the turbines provide only a two-year warranty, is pretty good evidence of the reliability of this technology at this time. For example, the catastrophic gear box failures appear to be caused primarily by induced mechanical voltage straying through the gearbox, pitting the bearings. This has happened, in some cases, within 18 months after the turbine was placed into service.




Insurance for Wind Farms and Turbines

Like any piece of complex machinery operating under stress, turbines can fail. They break. They develop faults. They are improperly constructed. They are improperly maintained, and so on. And without the right care and protection policy in place, the resultant claim can quickly spiral out of control. For the owner and investor, this can lead to lost revenue and operational downtime; at worse, it means absorbing an increasingly daunting repair bill. We outline the top causes for turbine failure and explain what to do when things go wrong.

Wind farm insurance packages can include: construction insurance, physical damage, and third-party liability insurance coverage for delays in building of a wind farm, loss of earnings, and business interruption once the operation is running. Specifically, wind turbine coverage can compensate the policyholder for production losses if the wind farm’s annual wind levels fall below forecast.




Based on our investigations, we list below the most commonly encountered causes of wind turbine failures:

o Bearings and Gearbox issues – this is the Achilles Heel of the Gear-Driven Turbine

o Lightning strikes

o Blade design, manufacturing and installation issues

o Mechanical Breakdown (generators and transformers, burning the windings due to overspeed, etc.)

o Hydraulic failures

o Wind turbine and wind farm electric systems

o Grid failures

o Nacelle fire

o Improper handling during transportation, construction and improper assembly

o Human error(s) in O&M, construction and design


o Turbine collapse

o Natural Catastrophic events

o Yaw motor events

o Poor O&M arrangements

o Axial Stress

o Foundation damage

o Icing

o Accumulation of bugs, dirt and other debris

o For offshore turbines, the power converter suffers from high failure rates




We will address these failure modes below.





Fires

In a typical year we expect to see total losses – typically caused by a fire – whereby the unit can no longer be repaired and is declared a total loss. In these instances, the most common causes are internal component failure or a buildup of material in lubricants. This can start an escalating spiral of sequential events and a rather spectacular – if not expensive – mechanical fire.







Fires are the second highest cause of catastrophic turbine failure



Extreme Weather

In occasional circumstances, extreme weather is also responsible for failure – whereby the wind speed and the elements simply become too much for the engineering dynamics of the machine. Brakes fail, blades seize up and the chain of events continues to make things worse.



Root Causes of Generator Failure

The main root causes of failure of generators at wind turbine sites include but are not limited to:

· Failure to follow recommend maintenance practices regarding the lubrication procedures, collector systems, etc.; mechanical or electrical failure of bearing, rotor lead failures, cooling system failures leading to excessive heat and fire.

· Lightning strikes, wind loading, weather extremes, lubricant contamination, thermal cycling, etc.

· Misalignment and other improper installation, excessive vibration, voltage irregularities, convertor failure, improper grounding, overspeed that results in burning of the windings, etc.

· Manufacturing and/or design failures, such as, loose components (wedges, banding), inadequate electrical insulation, transient shaft voltages, poorly designed/crimped lead connectors, rotor lead failures, the presence of other components inside the nacelle that complicate service, etc.

· For generators that are less than 1,000-kW, the most common failure mode is damage to rotor, following by stator, bearings, collector rings and miscellaneous generator failures. For generators that are between 1,000- and 2,000-kW, the most common failure mode was associated with the bearings, followed by collector rings, rotor, stator, cooling system, rotor leads and miscellaneous failure modes. For generators that were greater than 2,000-KW, the most common failure mode was associated with bearings, followed by stator, stator wedge, rotor, rotor leads, collector rings and miscellaneous failures. Maintenance is the critical factor affecting machinery life. Proper repairs are also critical to the reliability and longevity of the turbine generator.







Damage to the generator windings due to over-speed and subsequent overheating of the windings





Then there are the gearbox and blade lightning strikes.

Again, these create a spectacular display but also a spectacularly large loss – with the resultant damage often requiring either extensive turbine down time and a complex replacement or repair.

Blade Failure Modes

The main causes of failure of turbine blades include: lightning strikes, foreign object damage, poor design, material failure, power regulator failure. A combined thermal and stress analysis of a lightning strike model of typical wind turbine blade material (including E-glass composite layups) shows that the fiberglass material immediately surrounding the lightning attachment location becomes damaged due to plastic deformation. Depending on the magnitude and number of lightning strikes, the blade has the potential to fail under an extreme static gust load, under fatigue, or a combination of the two.







Turbine blade damaged by lightning strike.



Accumulations of bugs, oil, and ice on the blades will also reduce power as much as 40%. Regular cleaning of the blades has become a maintenance requirement. Included in the hours of down time for cleaning the blades is ice built-up when the ice causes the airfoil shape to be changed and the turbine cannot produce power.






Broken wind blade




Bearing Failures - The Achilles Heel of Geared Wind Turbines


No matter what type of turbine model, mainshaft bearings are common failure points. The main reason: spherical roller bearings are not the optimal bearing configuration. Large amount of radial internal clearance (RIC) are needed to facilitate original bearing assembly at the manufacturer. Although this simplifies the assembly at the turbine OEM, this clearance is not well suited for handling axial loads. The proper bearing configuration would be a pre-loaded tapered roller bearing, but this would have increased both turbine assembly time, as well as purchased cost. As a result of this configuration, the thrust from the wind causes the mainshaft to move axially towards the gearbox until the clearance has been absorbed, hence unseating the upwind row while the downwind row now sees the majority of the load.







The primary failure mode of the mainshaft bearing is macropitting (spalling) of the downwind race. The unloaded upwind row will then skid and skew as result of having no roller tractions, creating a second failure mode of micropitting. The micropitting is also called ‘grey staining’ or ‘frosting’. This consists of microscopic cracks only a few microns deep (about .0001 inches). Individually these cracks are too small to be visible. As they accumulate they appear as grey stains on the roller surface. Eventually the bearing roller starts to shed its cracked and weakened surface losing a small bit of its precision tolerance. Furthermore, this contaminates the oil with microscopic super hard steel particles most of which are too small to be filtered out. Why does grey staining begin? Typically it is a breakdown of the oil film that separates the rollers from the races.






There are many opinions in the public domain summarizing common indications of specific operating conditions in conjunction with premature failures in wind turbine applications:







· periods of heavy and dynamic loads/torques – leading to vibrations and rapid load changes (e.g. transient raceway stress exceeding 3.1 GPa, heavy loads of 15,000 per year, impact loads). Such transient events can include: grid loss, high wind shutdowns, wind gusts, curtailments, control malfunctions, generator short circuits, resonant vibration, misc emergency stops. Although these reversals are infrequent, they can be severe.


· depending on turbine type, additional radial and axial forces by the rotor, axial motion of the main shaft – leading to dynamical loading, higher stresses of gearbox components especially in the first stage

· occasional connecting and disconnecting of the generator to/from the power grid – leading to torque reversals and bouncing effects (which e.g. can lead up to 2.5-4 times higher nominal torque and impact loads)

· rapid accelerations/decelerations and motions of the gearbox shafts

· misalignment, structural deformations (nacelle hub, housings)

· lubricant compromise between needs of gears and bearings as well as between low and high speed stages, insufficient oil drains and refill intervals

· harsh environmental conditions – possible large temperature changes and consequently larger temperature differences between the bearing inner ring and housing than expected when starting up, dust, cold climate, moisture and salt water (especially for off-and near-shore turbines)

· idling conditions – leading to low load conditions and risk of skidding damage (adhesive wear) and wear in the low running stage

· conflicting design needs, e.g. increasing rolling element size will increase the load capacity but simultaneously increase the risk for cage-and roller slip and sliding damage

As stated above, bearings may fail due to other reasons not covered by best practice standards and from other industrial experiences.

Statistical evaluations of onshore and offshore wind turbines indicate clearly a correlation between failure rate, wind speed and heavy and fluctuating loads.

GREEN JOB HAZARDS: WIND ENERGY, WIND FARMS, WIND TURBINES, FIRE AND CRANE SAFETY

One man was injured when a multi-million dollar crane that was used to perform repair operations tipped over Friday morning, on August 8, 2014. 

The Mower County Sheriff’s Office says a crane was working at a wind turbine site near the intersection of County Road 8 and 180th Street, about five miles south of Grand Meadow, when it tipped over at about 7:15 am. Authorities said the crane tipped over on one end, and the impact crushed the cabin. 

According to officials, the driver did escape the tipped vehicle, but the man had to receive treatment at a Rochester hospital. He reportedly was in stable condition by the afternoon, and he did return home to Wisconsin the day after he received medical attention. A company spokesperson said the crew was involved in routine wind turbine repair when the incident occurred. Somehow, an automatic safety feature malfunctioned and the crane tipped over.
Workers said no load was on the lift at the time it tipped over on end, but that the machine had a boom of about 300-320 feet. A light wind was reported, but no heavy gusts were noted. 


The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration attempts to protect workers in the wind energy from these sorts of terrible incidents. It has several rules regulating the use of cranes and similar machinery while constructing or repairing turbines. Here are a few key regulations:




Cranes and their controls must be inspected by a designated competent person before they can be used.
The crane must rest on a firm, stable surface.
There must be at least 10 feet of safe working clearance from overhead electric power lines.

Besides wind, other weather conditions can increase the risk of a work site accident. Hydraulics in the crane can be affected by temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain, snow and fog can also reduce a crane's lifting capacity, as well as its stability on the ground. Water can seep into the brakes or clutch, making safe operations potentially impossible. 


Wind turbines generate electricity from wind, and are being manufactured and installed all across the nation. Wind energy employers need to protect their workers from workplace hazards and workers should be engaged in workplace safety and health and need to understand how to protect themselves from these hazards.

While this is a growing industry, the hazards are not unique and OSHA has many standards that cover them. This page provides information about some of the hazards that workers in the wind energy industry may face.


Hazards and Controls of the Wind Energy Industry
The most common hazards are:

Falls
Confined Spaces
Fires
Lockout/Tagout
Medical and First Aid
Crane, Derrick and Hoist Safety
Electrical
Machine Guarding
Respiratory Protection





Fatalities/Incidents

Wind Energy workers are exposed to hazards that can result in fatalities and serious injuries. Many incidents involving falls, severe burns from electrical shocks and arc flashes/fires, and crushing injuries have been reported to OSHA. Some examples are given below:


On August 29, 2009 at 08:30 hours a 33-year-old male lineman was shocked as he grasped a trailer ramp attached to a low boy trailer containing an excavator. The excavator was being operated in anticipation of being off-loaded from the trailer. The trailer was parked on a rural aggregate road adjacent to an access road for a wind turbine generator. 

The excavator operator rotated the upper works of the machine prior to moving the machine from the trailer. During the rotation the boom contacted a 7,200 volt primary rural power line. The power line was approximately 12 feet from the road with the trailer parked approximately two feet from the road edge. The injured worker had entry wounds in his hands and exit wounds in his feet. He was transported by EMS, treated and admitted for observation at a local hospital. He was discharged approximately 24 hours later and returned to work the following day. 

On 05/10/09, the victim was working in the bottom power cabinet of a wind turbine. He was checking the electrical connections and came into contact with a bus bar and arc flash erupted, causing injury to the victim. Afterward the victim was taken to a hospital by their technician and was met by the ambulance on the way. After arriving at the hospital he was later transferred by med-vac to another hospital in Oklahoma City and was treated for injuries. On 06/02/09, the company was notified by a representative of the hospital that the victim was deceased. 

On November 11, 2005, worker #1 and two coworkers were removing and replacing a broken bolt in the nacelle assembly of a wind turbine tower that was approximately 200 feet above the ground. They were heating the bolt with an oxygen-acetylene torch when a fire started. Worker #1 retreated to the rear of the nacelle, away from the ladder access area. While the two coworkers were able to descend the tower, Worker #1 fell approximately 200 feet to the ground, struck an electrical transformer box, and was killed.


At approximately 11:40 a.m. on June 17, 1992, a worker attempted to descend an 80 ft. ladder that accessed a wind turbine generator. The worker slipped or fell from the ladder and was killed. The victim was wearing his company-furnished safety belt, but the safety lanyards were not attached. Both lanyards were later discovered attached to their tie-off connection at the top of the turbine generator.
A site foreman was replacing a 480-volt circuit breaker serving a wind turbine. He turned a rotary switch to what he thought was the open position in order to isolate the circuit breaker. However, the worker did not test the circuit to ensure that it wasdeenergized. The worker had placed the rotary switch in a closed position, and the circuit breaker remained energized by back feed from a transformer. Using two plastic-handled screwdrivers, the employee shorted two contacts on the breaker to discharge static voltage buildup. This caused a fault, and the resultant electric arc caused deep flash burns to the worker's face and arms and ignited his shirt. The worker was hospitalized in a burn unit for 4 days.


Resources

Additional information on wind energy can be found at the links below:


Department of Energy's Wind Energy Page





Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Falls





Workers who erect and maintain wind turbines can be exposed to fall hazards. Wind turbines vary in height, but can be over 100 feet tall. Exposure to high winds may make work at high elevations even more hazardous. OSHA has different fall protection requirements for construction (installation of towers) and general industry (maintenance).

During installation, workers may need to access individual turbine sections to weld/fit individual sections together, run electrical or other lines, and install/test equipment - often at heights greater than 100 feet. Construction workers on wind farms when exposed to fall distances of 6 feet or more must be protected from falls by using one of the following methods:


Guardrail Systems
Safety net Systems
Personal fall arrest systems


Maintenance work involving wind turbines is generally considered to fall under OSHA’s general industry standards. Such workers when exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more must be protected by a standard railing. If such a railing is not possible then the workers must be protected from falls through the use of personal protective equipment such as a personal fall arrest system or a safety net.

Additionally, general industry workers engaged in maintenance of the wind turbines may have to climb up the turbine towers using fixed ladders. While climbing a fixed ladder (exceeding 20 feet in length) on these towers, a ladder equipped with a cage or well must have a landing platform every 30 feet; a ladder not so equipped must have a landing platform every 20 feet. See 29 CFR 1910.27(d)(2). Ladder safety devices may be used on wind tower ladders over 20 feet in unbroken length in lieu of cage protection. No landing platform is required in these cases. See 29 CFR 1910.27(d)(5).



Some additional resources on fall protection are provided below:


QuickCard on Fall Protection
Hazards and Possible Solutions


For further information on fall hazards, OSHA’s Fall Protection pages for General and Maritime industries and Construction Industry should be consulted.


Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Confined Spaces





During manufacturing of equipment, wind energy employers need to look at the spaces that workers enter to determine if they meet OSHA’s definition of a confined space. By definition, a confined space:


Is large enough for an employee to enter fully and perform assigned work;
Is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee; and
Has a limited or restricted means of entry or exit.


Some confined spaces have recognized hazards, such as low oxygen environments, which can pose a risk for asphyxiation, or accumulation of hazardous gases. These confined spaces are called permit-required confined spaces and require additional safety. precautions.

Wind energy employers also need to look at the hazards of the confined spaces to determine whether those spaces are “permit-required” confined spaces (PRCS). By definition, a PRCS has one or more of these characteristics:


Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere;
Contains a material with the potential to engulf someone who enters the space;
Has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section; and/or
Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazards.


If workers are expected to enter permit-required confined spaces, the employer must develop a written permit space program and make it available to workers or their representatives. The permit space program must detail the steps to be taken to make the space safe for entry.

The configuration of all Nacelles will classify them as confined spaces and during the maintenance activities inside the Nacelles, workers may be exposed to hazards from electrical motors, gears, etc. Those hazards may classify a Nacelle to be a PRCS. Technicians working in Nacelles should make sure to perform air sampling (such as for low oxygen levels or other hazardous gases) prior to entering a Nacelle. It is recommended that the technician should always carry a portable gas monitor in their toolkit and make sure that it is maintained properly.

For further information on confined space hazards, OSHA's page on Confined Spaces should be consulted.

Some additional resources on confined spaces are provided below:


QuickCard on Confined Spaces
Informational Booklet
Hazards and Solutions












Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Lockout/Tagout


"Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)" refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard employees from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.

Approximately 3 million workers service equipment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly implemented. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation. In a study conducted by the United Auto Workers (UAW), 20% of the fatalities (83 of 414) that occurred among their members between 1973 and 1995 were attributed to inadequate hazardous energy control procedures, specifically lockout/tagout procedures. Wind turbines have lots of internal machinery and equipment, including blades that need to be maintained. Workers performing servicing or maintenance may be exposed to injuries from the unexpected energization, startup of the machinery or equipment, or release of stored energy in the equipment. Wind farm employers must implement lockout/tagout procedures outlined in OSHA standards. See 29 CFR 1910.269(d) and 29 CFR 1910.147.

The following are some of the significant requirements of a Lockout/Tagout procedure required under a Lockout/Tagout program.




Only authorized employees may lockout or tagout machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance.
Lockout devices (locks) and tagout devices shall not be used for any other purposes and must be used only for controlling energy.
Lockout and Tagout devices (locks and tags) must identify the name of the worker applying the device.
All energy sources to equipment must be identified and isolated.
After the energy is isolated from the machine or equipment, the isolating device(s) must be locked out or tagged out in safe or off position only by the authorized employees.
Following the application of the lockout or tagout devices to the energy isolating devices, the stored or residual energy must be safely discharged or relieved.
Prior to starting work on the equipment, the authorized employee shall verify that the equipment is isolated from the energy source, for example, by operating the on/off switch on the machine or equipment.
Lock and tag must remain on the machine until the work is completed.
Only the authorized employee who placed the lock and tag must remove his/her lock or tag, unless the employer has a specific procedure as outlined in OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard.

Some additional general resources on Lockout/Tagout are provided below:




June 26, 2007 Letter of Interpretation - Clarification of LOTO procedures for servicing and maintenance of wind turbines
Lockout/Tagout Program
Lockout/Tagout eTool
OSHA Fact Sheet [PDF*]
OSHA's Enforcement Policy [PDF*]
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy





Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Fires




Wind turbines may have fire hazards because of the electrical parts and the combustible materials such as insulation or the material of construction used in the turbine housing (Nacelle) or lubricants involved in its operation.
Wind energy employers should train workers about fire hazards at the worksite and about what to do in a fire emergency. This plan should outline the assignments of key personnel in the event of a fire and provide an evacuation plan for workers on the wind turbines. Where employers require workers to use portable fire extinguishers, workers must be trained in the general principle of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting.
Workers should be made aware that while fighting initial fires, toxic gases can be generated and oxygen can be depleted inside Nacelles, and they can be exposed to such gases or can be asphyxiated from lack of oxygen.
If the employer chooses to use a fixed extinguishing system inside Nacelles, then the freezing point of the extinguishing medium and the safety of workers (exposure to toxic gases and depletion of oxygen) including emergency escape method should taken intoconsideration.
In addition to the fire extinguishing mechanisms (whether the use of fire extinguishers or a fire extinguishing system or both), fire detection systems and emergency alarm systems should be installed inside Nacelles to give an early warning to workers to escape. If such systems are installed, they must be maintained in operable condition, see 1910.160(c) and 1910.165(d).
Workers should know exactly what to do and how to escape in a fire emergency. Wind turbines should be provided with quick escape descent devices for workers to escape in the event of a fire or other emergency.
OSHA’s Fire Safety page should be consulted for additional information on fire hazards.
Fire Safety Advisor is available as an additional resource in mitigating fire hazards associated with Wind Turbines.
Falls | Confined Spaces | Fires | Lockout/Tagout | Medical and First Aid | Crane, Derrick and Hoist Safety | Electrical | Machine Guarding | Respiratory Protection
Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Medical and First Aid




Wind farms are normally located in remote locations, away from a hospital or other emergency treatment facilities. This is a major concern if a worker gets hurt – how will they be treated quickly? Wind energy employers should determine the estimates of emergency medical service response times for all their wind farm locations for all times of the day and night at which they have workers on duty, and they should use that information when planning their first-aid program. The employers must ensure that medical personnel are available for advice and consultation, and that someone who is trained is available to provide first aid. See OSHA's web page on Medical Services and First Aid for Electric Power Industry pertaining to Two-Person Rule and 4-minute Rescue.

Trained first-aid providers must be available at all wind farms of any size, if there is no nearby clinic or a hospital. If a worker is expected to render first aid as part of his or her job duties, the worker is covered by the requirements of the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens standard. This standard includes specific training requirements.

OSHA’s Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution standard requires that workers are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), because a worker who may be exposed to an electric shock may experience a sudden cardiac arrest. In such adverse situations, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can also assist in preventing a potential death. AEDs should be provided at wind farms and workers should be trained in how to use them. This training can be done when CPR training is provided to workers.

For further information on medical and first aid, OSHA’s Medical and First Aid page should be consulted. OSHA’s publication on First Aid Program [PDF*] is another resource that can be used.





Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Crane, Derrick and Hoist Safety





Cranes, derricks, and hoists will be used to move the large, heavy loads during wind turbine installation and maintenance. Fatalities and serious injuries can occur if cranes are not inspected and used properly. Many fatalities can occur when the crane boom, load line or load contacts power lines and shorts electricity to ground. Other incidents happen when workers are struck by the load, are caught inside the swing radius or fail to assemble/disassemble the crane properly. There are significant safety issues to be considered, both for the operators of the diverse "lifting" devices, and for workers who work near them. See OSHA’s General Industry standards at 29 CFR 1910.179 and 29 CFR 1910.180, and Construction standard at 29 CFR 1926.1417 [PDF*] for specific crane requirements.




Cranes are to be operated only by qualified and trained personnel.
A designated competent person must inspect the crane and all crane controls before use.
Be sure the crane is on a firm/stable surface and level.
During assembly/disassembly do not unlock or remove pins unless sections are blocked and secure (stable).
Fully extend outriggers and barricade accessible areas inside the crane’s swing radius.
Watch for overhead electric power lines and maintain at least a 10-foot safe working clearance from the lines.
Inspect all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist lines around the load.
Be sure to use the correct load chart for the crane’s current configuration and setup, the load weight and lift path.
Do not exceed the load chart capacity while making lifts.
Raise load a few inches, hold, verify capacity/balance, and test brake system before delivering load.
Do not move loads over workers.
Be sure to follow signals and manufacturer instructions while operating cranes.


Since Wind Turbines are installed in windy areas, the affects of wind speeds need to be taken into consideration for lifting activities. Stability can be an issue when the boom is high and the wind coming from the rear, front, or side of the crane can cause the load to sway away from the crane, increasing the radius and thus possibly decreasing the crane capacity.

An employer needs to determine the wind speeds at which it is not safe to continue lifting operations. Load charts do not generally take wind speeds into consideration. If the load chart or the operating manual does not have information on wind speeds and derating information, the crane manufacturer should be consulted. The procedures applicable to the operation of the equipment, including rated capacities (load charts), recommended operating speeds, special hazard warnings, instructions, and operator’s manual, must be readily available in the cab at all times for use by the operator. See 29 CFR 1926.1417(c) [PDF*]. The maximum allowable wind speed and derating information need to be posted conspicuously in the cab or on the load chart

Extremely cold weather conditions can have an impact on crane and lifting operations. When temperatures drop below 10o F appropriate consideration should be given to crane hydraulics, and possible derating of the crane.

Bad weather such as rain, snow or fog, can also have adverse impact on lifting. Equipment and/or operations must be adjusted to address the effect of wind, ice, and snow on equipment stability and rated capacity. See 29 CFR 1926.1417(n) [PDF*]. During thunderstorms, a crane boom can become a lightning rod. If there is an indication of possible thunderstorms, lifting activities should be suspended and the boom should be lowered to a safe position, and workers should leave the area. If the crane is struck by lightning, it should be thoroughly inspected prior to putting it back into service.

Heavy rain along with high speed winds also can affect crane operations. Water can get into components such as brakes or clutches, and render them inoperable. When these conditions exist, operators should wait until the components are dried out.

The following resources are available:


QuickCard on Crane Safety
Crane, Derrick, and Hoist Safety





Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Electrical


Workers in wind farms are potentially exposed to a variety of serious hazards, such as arc flashes (which include arc flash burn and blast hazards), electric shock, falls, and thermal burn hazards that can cause injury and death. Wind farm employers are covered by the Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution standards and, therefore, are required to implement the safe work practices and worker training requirements of OSHA's Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution standard, 29 CFR 1910.269.

Workers need to pay attention to overhead power lines at wind farms. The hazard is from using tools and equipment that can contact power lines and workers must stay at least 10 feet away [PDF*] from them, because they carry extremely high voltage. Fatal electrocution is the main hazard, but burns and falls from elevations can occur at the wind farms. Some resources on electrical hazards are provided below:


Work Hazards and Safety Practices in the Electric Power Industry
OSHA Assistance for the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Industry
NIOSH’s Electical Safety Topics Page









Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Machine Guarding


The production of a wind turbine involves thousands of parts -- gears, blades, and many other such parts. Manufacturing wind turbines, therefore, will involve machines of various configurations and may expose workers to hazards of moving parts of the machines if they are not safeguarded properly.

Additionally, the moving parts associated with the turbine if not guarded properly may have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness. Employers must ensure that the workers are protected from the machine hazards and workers should make sure that the rotating parts and points of operation of machines are properly guarded prior to using them. More information on machine guarding can be found on the OSHA website.

Some additional resources on machine guarding are provided below:


Safeguarding Equipment and Protecting Employees from Amputations [PDF*]
Machine Guarding eTool







Green Job Hazards: Wind Energy - Respiratory Protection




Manufacturing turbine blades involve operations like buffing and resurfacing, which may expose workers to harmful gases, vapors and dusts. Workers must be protected from the inhalation hazards through the use of ventilation. If the ventilation alone is not adequate, then workers may also need to use appropriate respirators.

Use of respirators may give a false sense of security and workers should understand the limitations of the respirators. For example, during heavy exertion the respirator seal is often compromised, which allows the chemical to enter the breathing zone (without being filtered) through the gaps between the respirator and the face. In such situations a worker who is not adequately trained may think that he or she is being protected. It is, therefore, essential that workers be provided training in the proper use of respirators and their limitations. In addition, they must be trained on the proper storage and maintenance of respirators.

Respiratory protection can be effective only if:


the correct type of respirator is used,
it is readily available,
worker knows how to put it on and take it off, and
it is stored and kept in working condition based on the manufacturer's recommendations;



Additional resources on respiratory protection can be found below:


OSHA's Page on Respiratory Protection
OSHA's Video on Respirator Protection
Respiratory Protection Training Materials







Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting & Forensics (MECF)
Providing Competent, Expert and Objective Investigative Engineering and Consulting Services
P.O. Box 520
Tenafly, NJ 07670-0520
Tel.: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440
E-mail: metroforensics@gmail.com
Web pages: https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanforensics/
https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanenvironmental/
https://sites.google.com/site/metroforensics3/
http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/
We are happy to announce the launch of our twitter account. Please make sure to follow us at @MetropForensics or @metroforensics1
Metropolitan appreciates your business.
Feel free to recommend our services to your friends and colleagues.