Health & Safety Workshop:
Onshore Wind - Best Practice Case Studies

Session C2 | Day 1, Tue 2 Nov, 10.45-12.00noon

Event Summary
This workshop will cover construction, transportation and remote working risks relevant to onshore projects. Key themes will be communications, work related driving, public safety and ergonomic risk factors.

• Chair: Rob Elvin, Partner, Hammonds LLP
• Tom McIlwaine, Wind Energy, Specialist, Met Office
• Johnny Watson, CEO, Limpet Technology
• Jon Cowlan, Health & Safety Consultant, Pinsent Masons LLP
• Nick Chivers, Director of QHSE, PMSS

	Chair: Rob Elvin, Partner, Hammonds LLP
	Speaker: Tom McIlwaine, Wind Energy, Specialist, Met Office Minimising Health & Safety Risks on Wind Farms Monitoring operating conditions on wind farms is critical to ensuring that it is safe to allow personnel on site. Using a system to view conditions can help improve operations and maintenance planning and reduce costs by helping to optimise use of resources. Weather conditions are an important factor to consider when planning operations and maintenance. A reliable lightning warning system is crucial when personnel are working up high as there is a very real danger. Additionally monitoring wind conditions and taking into account the wind forecast can help you minimise additional down time as it enables you to schedule maintenance to optimise your asset management. The Met Office has developed a web-based weather alert system, VisualEyes™, that provides site-specific alerts, using advanced forecasting techniques. It enables users to see real-time and forecast weather conditions for lightning, wind speed and direction, rainfall, visibility and temperature. The system is based on operating thresholds, which can be set by the user. A user-friendly red-amber alert is given for most weather parameters exceeding these thresholds with a specific blue alert provided for lightning, the most critical parameter. Using a weather alert system such as VisualEyes™ can help to minimise health and safety risks to personnel on site, improve operations and maintenance planning, reduce costs and optimise resources.
	Speaker: Johnny Watson, CEO, Limpet Technology Environmental Testing Considerations for PPE The presentation will attempt to show how test standards have evolved over the years, and the present regulatory framework. It will show how various bodies, including the HSE in the UK, have attempted to develop new test methods to introduce ‘real life’ scenarios. It will go on to look at independent test data examining the efficiency of fall arrest systems in relation to protected ladder systems, and the hazards associated with even minor falls in these systems. It will then go on to explore the issues relating to the wind turbine industry, the different ladder system types in use, and lessons we can learn from studies undertaken thus far.
	Speaker: Jon Cowlan, Health & Safety Consultant, Pinsent Masons LLP Are Health & Safety Challenges the same for Onshore & Offshore Wind Farms? As with any emerging technology there are health & safety challenges to be faced, but are they the same for both onshore and offshore operations? This paper will compare and contrast the key practical requirements and also the impact of different contractual arrangements for operations and maintenance activities.
	Speaker: Nick Chivers, Director of QHSE, PMSS Safety Leadership in wind from Development to Operation