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Wind Turbine Fall Protection

Fall Protection & Fall Arrest Systems for the Wind Turbine Industry

Increased demand for renewable energy has led to a landscape dotted with windmill farms.  Although wind energy has the potential to reduce our nation’s reliance on coal powered electricity generation, it also exposes wind turbine maintenance staff to significant fall hazards.  Providing safe access to service your wind turbines requires a comprehensive fall prevention strategy, which includes the proper mix of fall protection equipment, a descent and rescue plan, personnel training, and partnering with a fall protection company that appreciates the unique nature of the potential fall hazards associated with the wind power industry.

Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection
Wind Turbine Fall Protection

We are a complete turnkey provider of wind turbine fall protection systems and have the years of design and installation experience in this market sector.  Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements.

Design Considerations

 Wind Energy Fall Protection Design Considerations
Wind energy is a multi-faceted fall protection requirement.  Maintenance personnel need to safely climb between 100 to 300 feet from the ground level to reach the wind turbine’s mechanical drives in the power generation area.  This climb can be extremely physically demanding as temperatures in the wind turbine’s support chamber can reach 200 degrees in summer months.  Once the maintenance staff reaches the top of the ladder system, a shell protecting the drive system retracts, creating a confined yet open air work space requiring OSHA compliant fall protection.

Although most wind turbines feature resting platforms that are spaced at 50 foot increments, scaling a 100-300 foot ladder system remains difficult and potentially dangerous.  To make climbing from ground level to the generation bay easier and safer, we recommend the use vertical lifelines in conjunction with climb-assist products that remove 45-55% of a climber’s body weight.  Generation bay work areas are protected with horizontal lifeline cable systems or single point anchors to ensure 100% tie-off.  Diversified Fall Protection can also help install systems and train personnel for rescue situations in the event of a fall.  Despite the relative youth of this emerging market, Diversified Fall Protection has years of experience installing OSHA compliant fall protection systems for the wind energy market including:

  • Horizontal Lifelines
  • Rescue and Descent
  • Single Point Anchors
  • Vertical Lifelines and Ladder Systems

OSHA Regulations

  • HLL/VLL
    • 1926.502(d)
      'Personal fall arrest systems.' Personal fall arrest systems and their use shall comply with the provisions set forth below. Effective January 1, 1998, body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system. Note: The use of a body belt in a positioning device system is acceptable and is regulated under paragraph (e) of this section.
    • 1926.502(d)(8)
      Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two.
    • 1926.502(d)(9)
      Lanyards and vertical lifelines shall have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN).
    • 1926.502(d)(10) 1926.502(d)(10)(i)
      Except as provided in paragraph (d)(10)(ii) of this section, when vertical lifelines are used, each employee shall be attached to a separate lifeline.
    • 1926.502(d)(11)
      Lifelines shall be protected against being cut or abraded.
    • 1926.502(d)(12)
      Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards which automatically limit free fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 3,000 pounds (13.3 kN) applied to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
    • 1926.502(d)(13)
      Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards which do not limit free fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less, ripstitch lanyards, and tearing and deforming lanyards shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) applied to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
  • Personal Fall Arrest Systems
    • 1926.502(d)
      'Personal fall arrest systems.' Personal fall arrest systems and their use shall comply with the provisions set forth below. Effective January 1, 1998, body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system. Note: The use of a body belt in a positioning device system is acceptable and is regulated under paragraph (e) of this section.
    • 1926.502(d)(16)
      Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(i)
      limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 900 pounds (4 kN) when used with a body belt;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(ii)
      limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iii)
      be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor contact any lower level;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iv)
      bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m); and,
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(v)
      have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.
  • Ladders
    • 1926.1053(a)(18)
      Fixed ladders shall be provided with cages, wells, ladder safety devices, or self-retracting lifelines where the length of climb is less than 24 feet (7.3 m) but the top of the ladder is at a distance greater than 24 feet (7.3 m) above lower levels.
    • 1926.1053(a)(19)
      Where the total length of a climb equals or exceeds 24 feet (7.3 m), fixed ladders shall be equipped with one of the following:
    • 1926.1053(a)(19)(i)
      Ladder safety devices; or
    • 1926.1053(a)(19)(ii)
      Self-retracting lifelines, and rest platforms at intervals not to exceed 150 feet (45.7 m); or
    • 1926.1053(a)(19)(iii)
      A cage or well, and multiple ladder sections, each ladder section not to exceed 50 feet (15.2 m) in length. Ladder sections shall be offset from adjacent sections, and landing platforms shall be provided at maximum intervals of 50 feet (15.2 m).

Did You Know?

All guardrail that is protecting an opening or leading edge must be able to support 200 pounds on the top rail and 150 pounds on the midrail in any direction?