Global Wind Organisation Advanced Rescue Training

GWO Advanced Rescue Training supports the employer by mitigating numerous common wind turbine emergency rescue related hazards, included but not limited to:

• Injured person getting stuck due to structure interference
• Use of improper anchor point for injured person transportation
• Ropes, slings and similar breaking due to sharp edges
• Improper rescue method and technique
• Physical shock, mental stress, exhaustion, fatigue; due to time-consuming rescue
• Challenging weather conditions for rescue: wind speed, extreme temperatures and alike
• Due to limited space, difficulties to put harness and other rescue equipment onto an injured person and prepare the injured person for safe transportation
• Collision of injured person and vessel when delivering the injured person down to the vessel; due to vessel moving up and down
• Burns from contact HV-cables or hyperthermia during rescue operation
• Improper PPE of rescuer and/or placing improper PPE onto injured person
• Improper means of communication during rescue operation
• Improper positioning of turbine parts
• Movable parts of the wind turbine not locked properly etc.

GWO recommends that decisions concerning the ratio of AR trained personnel is based on the employer’s risk assessment and work specific characteristics. The basic elements to consider when determining the ratio of AR trained personnel are:

• The activities being undertaken (risk & complexity)
• Organisational limitations to ensure that the required AR trained personnel are available. Such as variations in the team’s composition and size.

The reasonably expected support of professional emergency responders, including availability of personnel trained for heights and their reasonable expected response time. The guiding principle when determining the required amount of trained staff, is that the emergency response time of a trained Emergency responder should be as small as is reasonably possible. In other words, if training additional employees in advanced rescue provides a significant reduction in response time, then GWO advices to train those additional employees. To implement GWO ART, the employer will need to have the following:

• An integrated emergency response plan
• Sufficiently trained personnel
• Dedicated advanced rescue equipment

On successful completion of the training you will receive a GWO ART Certificate of Attendance

Pre-requisites:

N/A

FSA / GWO Entry Requirements:

• Current GWO Basic Safety Training Modules – Heights, First Aid, Fire Awareness & Manual Handling (must show on WINDA)
• Fitness to participate, participants must be physically capable of wearing a harness and climbing a ladder safely, maintaining 3 points of contact
• Sufficient language, literacy and numeracy skills to complete the course
• Long sleeves and long pants, appropriate safety footwear
• Winda ID

Physical Requirements:

This course requires a very high level of fitness, strength, grip, mobility, and tolerance for working at heights and in confined spaces.

To successfully complete this course, you will need to be physically able to:

• Wear full PPE and climb/operate safely at height.
• Handle rescue ropes, devices, and equipment, including rigging and system set-up.
• Fit harnesses and PPE to yourself and a casualty.
• Lift, drag, and carry casualty mannequins (20–30kg) during rescue scenarios.
• Use stretchers with or without lifting aids, including lowering and raising techniques.
• Safely evacuate a casualty from a wind turbine generator, including rope descents and zipline transport.
• Work in confined and elevated spaces while maintaining safety.
• Clean, check, and stow rescue equipment after scenarios.

Key overall physical demands:

• Very high stamina and endurance – long-duration rescue drills in PPE at height
• Manual handling – casualty mannequins (20–30kg), rescue stretchers, ropes, devices
• Strength and grip – rope rigging, stretcher control, casualty handling, zip line operation
• Mobility and agility – climbing, kneeling, stooping, balancing in confined/high environments
• Dexterity – harness fitting, knots, rigging systems, device checks
• Tolerance – exposure to height, suspended work, stressful rescue conditions