The Link Between Wind Turbine Availability and Technician Safety —
This article explores my observation as a Renewables Consultant that the best-performing wind turbine sites also tend to be the safest for technicians. Over seven years of working at various sites, I have noticed a strong correlation between high site availability and strong safety records. This insight was a driving factor behind AP Renewables’ development of SCADA Scope technology, which fosters a work culture that enhances both safety and productivity. Given the lack of public data on wind turbine technician safety, this discussion is necessary.
The Critical Impact of Missing Safety Data in the Wind Industry
Wind turbine technician safety and accident data, like so much data in the wind industry, seems to be hard to come by: owner/operators and service providers (including OEMs) do not seem to want to share this information and OSH data is practically non-existent on it. It is a serious problem, especially considering the ongoing labour shortage of technicians. We need to do everything we can to provide potential talent with the information they need to work safely in their new profession. It’s hard to do this without good data to tell us what is most likely to be dangerous for them.
To analyze safety trends, I relied on two key studies: a 2015 report from Quebec’s Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) and a 2022 report from Spain’s Asociación Empresarial Eólica (AEE). Both studies focus on onshore wind farm operations and provide valuable insights.
The AEE report, based on data from 53 companies, found that serious injuries—bodily, skeletal, or neurological—accounted for 47% of all wind sector accidents. Since 2021, maintenance-related incidents have been reported separately from installation and commissioning incidents, revealing a substantial number of injuries occurring during post-commissioning maintenance. These accidents led to an average of seven lost workdays per incident, with severity increasing by 89% compared to the previous year. However, the report acknowledges that these figures likely represent only a fraction of actual incidents.
The IRSST report aligns with AEE’s findings but covers a broader range of jurisdictions. It was compiled using incidents from the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum (CWIF) database, supplemented with additional cases.
Key takeaways include:
- More fatalities occur during maintenance than in manufacturing and construction.
- Maintenance accidents outnumber those in manufacturing and construction by 3.7 times.
- OSH organizations better track manufacturing and construction accidents due to their clear categorization, while maintenance technicians work in more isolated conditions with varying jurisdictional classifications, leading to significant underreporting.
Summary of Accident Categories and Counts:
- Traffic: 24
- Falls: 26
- Electric: 22
- Falling Objects: 15
- Fire: 12
- Physical Strain: 9
- Explosion: 4
Summary of Fatality Categories and Counts:
- Traffic: 6
- Falls: 10
These findings highlight clear safety priorities:
- Reducing field trips enhances technician safety.
- Minimizing climbs up towers lowers risk.
- Limiting direct interaction with converter cabinets and electrical systems prevents accidents.
From my experience, novice technicians are more prone to accidents. Sites with strong safety records typically have structured mentorship, ensuring effective knowledge transfer. Fewer injuries mean more available work hours for maintenance, improving turbine availability. Well-maintained turbines experience fewer failures, reducing the need for reactive maintenance and stressful overtime. Additionally, sites with high first-fix rates likely utilize data efficiently to drive effective maintenance actions—an increasingly crucial KPI in modern wind operations.
SCADA Scope was designed to support these objectives by:
- Diagnosing turbine faults remotely to reduce field trips and tower climbs.
- Providing a tool for experienced technicians to mentor novices in remote fault diagnostics.
- Enhancing technician morale by minimizing exposure to hazards while boosting confidence and skills.
- Offering access to advanced turbine data beyond standard OEM SCADA systems.
- Automating maintenance processes from fault detection to corrective action.
Prioritizing Safety and Efficiency: Strengthening Technician Well-being and Wind Farm Performance
In conclusion, technician health and wind farm performance are interconnected. More needs to be done to transparently and consistently track technician safety trends. Given the severe labor shortage, it is unacceptable to lack data on job safety. Meanwhile, adopting a holistic approach—fostering mentorship, maximizing maintenance efficiency, and providing the right tools—can significantly improve both technician well-being and wind farm productivity.
SCADA Scope is already deployed at wind farms globally, improving safety and efficiency.
To learn more, contact me at jsneep@aprenewables.com or visit our website at www.aprenewables.com.