Safety alert on wind turbine lifts

An HSE safety alert for wind turbine generator service lifts warns of the risk of serious injury or death to workers using, or working near, wind turbine generator (WTG) service lifts. It follows an investigation which found the design of landing gates and guarding did not eliminate or reduce access to dangerous moving parts of the lift car as it operated with external one-touch controls. It was possible to reach the lift car and become crushed or sheared against the gates.

A second safety alert concerns unsafe bolts on BendPak XPR series two-post vehicle lifts. These have a half-moon-shaped arm restraint gear on each arm which is either welded or bolted. An investigation of a fatal incident revealed concerns with an aspect of their manufacture and supply. If the gear is attached using “4.8” marked or unmarked bolts, there is an increased risk of a major incident.