Workforce Safety Standards & Training Resource

The Offshore Wind Workforce Safety Standards & Training Resource defines the stakeholders, challenges, and opportunities in the field of offshore wind energy safety. In addition, the fact sheet clarifies roles and responsibilities while identifying key actions to ensure the workers who build and operate offshore wind energy projects are properly trained for the unique workforce development and needs of this sector of wind energy.

Overview

Safety is a top priority for the offshore wind energy industry; however, there has been uncertainty surrounding what unique safety standards and training will be needed and how various offshore wind safety stakeholders will be involved.
  • This fact sheet aims to help reduce these uncertainties by:

    • Delineating jurisdictional lines while clarifying roles and responsibilities among stakeholders.
    • Identifying key actions or partnerships that can encourage further success with safety training and workforce development.

    The scope of safety training for this resource includes workers who build and operate offshore wind energy projects at sea. There are four types of safety training covered in this resource:

    • Vessel-specific safety training requirements.
    • Requirements for workers constructing wind turbines.
    • Requirements for workers operating and repairing offshore wind turbines.
    • Health, safety, and environment training for onshore professional roles who oversee offshore activities.

    Some examples of job roles that fall within this scope include seamen and other vessel operators, heavy-left crane operators, lead package engineers, and offshore wind energy technicians. Other onshore roles (such as those in construction and manufacturing) require relevant safety training, but those standards are not covered in this resource.

Figure 1. Relationship map of key stakeholders that need to be aligned in the offshore wind workforce safety standards and training ecosystem for successful workforce development.
Figure 1. Relationship map of key stakeholders that need to be aligned in the offshore wind workforce safety standards and training ecosystem for successful workforce development.

Ecosystem

Click to learn more about the parts of the ecosystem.

Blueprint To Act

Complexity

There are concerns with complexity, for which we provide solutions, including:

Coordination

There are concerns with coordination, for which we provide solutions, including:

Capacity

There are concerns with capacity, for which we provide solutions, including:

Safety Moment

Injuries impact all of us![12]

Workplace injuries not only hurt those involved in an accident but can affect their friends, family, co-workers, and employers. They also can have a big impact on business and the wider industry through reduced productivity, lost sales, lower recruitment and retention of workers, lower staff morale, or even facility closures and reputation impacts. In Figure 2 (Source: G+, 2023), the impacts of safety incidences are shown for the global offshore wind industry’s 44.64 million hours worked over 2022, as collected and reported by G+ Global Offshore Wind Health and Safety Organisation in their latest annual incidence report.

Accidents arise from unsafe behavior and unsafe conditions. Keeping workers safe through 1) adequate and timely training, practice, and performance, 2) a safe working environment, and 3) a strong safety culture is paramount. Safety culture comprises the shared attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values among employees about how workplace safety is managed and is cultivated by every individual in the organization. An organization that successfully cultivates a positive safety culture can expect to realize immediate and tangible results in reducing workplace accidents and their associated impacts. Commitment to safety must be communicated throughout every level of the organization.

It is important to master required skills to maintain a safe environment for you and others through training, focus on the task at hand, and be aware of potential hazards that exist. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of themselves and others. If you see an unsafe behavior or condition, stop and correct it immediately!

Figure 2: 2022 Global offshore wind industry incidence summary
Figure 2: 2022 Global offshore wind industry incidence summary

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