Survitec Group, TeSuCon and Pendragon Renewable Services, in partnership with Evacuator WorldWide fireproof escape descent systems, have developed a simple-to-use evacuation escape descent system for large maintenance crews in wind turbines. A large crew of technicians must be able to escape safely and simultaneously out of the nacelle within 10 seconds in case of a fire (or acute health problems).The Evacuator escape descent system will be permanently installed at a central location inside the nacelle, and its steel cables will be permanently fixed at the escape hatches. It is also possible to install the Evacuator escape descent system permanently on top of wind turbines, including sea-survival equipment in a weatherproof storage box. By permanently installing the escape system and its steel cables already fixed at the escape hatches, it can no longer happen that someone forgets to bring their safety equipment to the escape hatches. All the equipment that is needed for a safe descent is simply always there when you need it. At least six people can hook on and descend at the same time with just one Evacuator escape descent system, which needs no electricity. The maximum load capacity is 564kg, divided over two cable reels (2 × 282kg). The steel cables cannot burn or melt, and the cables cannot get entangled.
The new escape descent system is in compliance with the official European Safety Standard for Wind Turbines EN50308 (paragraph 4.2.2), meaning that the descent device has to be sufficiently fireproof to allow escape from the nacelle to the ground in the event of a fire and suitable for the number of people to be evacuated. The system is also in compliance with the UK Offshore Safety Directive Regulator / HSE ‘Offshore Emergency Response Inspection Guide’ (Appendix 8: Means of Escape, PFEER ACOP paragraphs 219 and 220), which states, ‘Dutyholders should have selected means of escape based on their contribution to reducing the risks of those who may have to escape from the installation to as low as reasonably practicable’.
Survitec Group and TeSuCon are official distributors and installation partners of the Evacuator. Survitec is a global provider of critical safety equipment, servicing, among others, the wind industry. TeSuCon and Pendragon Renewable Services provide service/maintenance and statutory inspections in Europe, the UK and Northern Ireland. The companies are already collaborating with companies in the wind industry to bring this new and higher level of safety escape standard to the onshore and offshore wind industry.
