Heavy-duty brake manufacturer Dellner Bubenzer Group has put a U.S. team through a wind turbine climbing and rescue certification course.
Dellner supplies rotor, yaw, and pitch brakes for various wind energy applications. Rotor brakes are typically caliper style (active or passive) and Dellner offers rotor lock style pins (hydraulic, manual) for safety locking and maintenance purposes. Yaw brakes (active or passive) and sliding bearings along with special brakes are installed for pitch movement on the blades. It means personnel frequently have a requirement to work at height—and keeping those professionals trained is priority.
A group recently took Safety One Training’s (of Littleton, Colorado, U.S.) wind turbine climbing and rescue certification course, designed for technicians that are required to access and work on wind turbine structures. The course covered a variety of subjects including equipment selection and inspection; understanding and use of fall protection systems and rescue procedures; and preparation, evaluation, and update of planned rescue procedures.
Joel Cox, global sales director—wind, at Dellner Bubenzer Group, said: “Component manufacturers that need to work at height on and around wind turbines, must keep their safety and rescue training up to date. This course was perfect for our wind farm site sales managers and traveling engineers. Much as we adhere to the most stringent of regulations, this course filled certain gaps in our knowledge when it came to some elements of equipment selection and inspection; use of tools; risk assessment; and emergency procedures.”
As Cox explained, the wind energy industry is growing significantly, and many suppliers are scrambling to learn more about climbing techniques and potential rescue situations. Turbine technicians can face many unique challenges when performing a rescue, including confined spaces, electrical hazards, varying platforms, and ladder systems—even fires.
Cox added: “We don’t look at education and CPD [continuing professional development] as going back to school. We must keep energizing and challenging our teams with new learning. It is vital for growth and team building to constantly remind everyone of their value to the business and that striving to be a pioneer in a market sector takes constant evolution. Never is training done or education finished. There’s always something else that can be added, even to the most experienced person’s armory. This mindset is particularly important if you’re required to go to work in specialized end-user markets.”
- Dellner Bubenzer Group recently promoted Joel Cox to global sales director—wind. Cox, previously managing director, sales, global sales director (Americas), Dellner Bubenzer USA, will manage activities related to all worldwide wind products, including hydraulic units, accumulators, cylinders, brakes, and other equipment. He will oversee a team of regional sales directors—locations include Germany, Denmark, India, and China—and report directly to Jan-Willem Schoneveld, CCO, at Dellner Bubenzer Group.