Finland Times

 

In Lapland, a new industry is growing around the wind. And the industry’s workers need education, housing and other services, reported the Finnish language daily Lapin Kansa.

 

Due to the so-called suspension trauma, a person hanging from a windmill by a harness must reach the ground in less than 20 minutes. Otherwise, fainting, or subsequently death, may occur.

 

So, rescues are practised in safety training, which has been being held for the past two years by Rovaniemi SantaSport Director of Safety Oula-Matti Peltonen. SantaSport training services are now being provided to Oulu’s Wind Controller, a company that offers a variety of professional services for wind power companies.

 

This training is an example of how wind turbines have given birth to new industries in Lapland at the sub-contractor level.

 

“There’s no intention to make a fortune from this training, but certainly this expertise is a good thing for our brand,” SantaSport Managing Director Heikki Keskitalo told the Lapin Kansa.

 

The need for safety training is expected to grow, as Finland constructs more and more wind turbines. In addition, training is refreshed every two years.

 

Wind Controller and Oula-Matti Peltonen also organise international certifications in safety training in English, because participants come from Sweden and Estonia.

 

“We are now prepared for the need for safety training to rise,” Wind Controller CEO Jari Valle told the daily.

 

SantaSport also have the ability to respond to the growth in training needs. CEO Heikki Keskitalo believes soon they will have to train more safety training leaders.

 

Training of this kind is rare in Finland. The only other company to offer it is Skydda in Lahti.

 

During training they practise, among other things, rescue from a wind turbine. Training is important, because in the event of an accident, a wind turbine employee is mostly on one’s own.

 

Wind farms are usually far from city centres, so getting help can take a long time. A wind turbine is not necessarily within a phone service network, and it can be challenging for rescue services due to the height.

 

“A part of working on a wind turbine is to know how to act during an emergency. It is important to plan your descent, settle yourself quickly and continue providing first aid,” trainer Oula-Matti Peltonen told the Lapin Kansa.

 

Incidents atop wind turbines are usually caused by, among other things, the height and the windy conditions. There is also a fear of becoming sick while working.

According to Peltonen, the worst case scenario would be a wind farm catching fire. At Ooltgensplaat in the Netherlands, two installers died two years ago when their turbine caught fire.

 

“It’s a tricky situation. The descent takes a couple of minutes, and the harness and other materials are flammable,” Peltonen said.

 

According to Peltonen, accidents on wind turbines are rare. Being on the roof of your own home can lend a false sense of security because of the relatively low height. “But a hundred metres up, every sane person ties himself up meticulously. Man has an innate fear of heights,” said Peltonen.

 

As an experienced climber, Peltonen knows that at high altitude worksites, people can become accustomed to the height. If that acclimation leads to lax safety and accident prevention, things can go badly quickly.

 

“Height should be respected,” said Peltonen.