Heavy-duty brake manufacturer Dellner Bubenzer Group has put a U.S. team through a wind turbine climbing and rescue certification course. Dellner supplies rotor, yaw, and pitch brakes for various wind energy applications.Rotor brakes are typically caliper style (active or passive) and Dellner offers rotor lock style pins (hydraulic, manual) for safety locking and maintenance purposes. Yaw brakes (active or passive) and sliding bearings along with special brakes are installed for pitch movement on the blades. It means personnel frequently have a requirement to work at height. A group recently took Safety One Training’s (of Littleton, Colorado, U.S.) wind turbine climbing and rescue certification course, designed for technicians that are required to access and work on wind turbine structures. Turbine technicians can face many unique challenges when performing a rescue, including confined spaces, electrical hazards, varying platforms, and ladder systems—even fires. The course covered a variety of subjects including equipment selection and inspection; understanding and use of fall protection systems and rescue procedures; and preparation, evaluation, and update of planned rescue procedures.
