Health and safety regulations impact on everyone involved in an offshore wind farm project including developers, manufacturers, suppliers, consultants and employees. With so many contributors, from several different countries involved in any one project, a harmonised health and safety standard across the industry is widely accepted as a necessary step in the development of wind power as Europe’s prominent energy source.
In the current climate, each country that has offshore wind farms within its waters has its own regulatory authority, which sets out its own regulations and requirements. There is a desire amongst the executive bodies to communicate and develop an agreed standard throughout Europe, and several studies have been undertaken to collate data in respect of offshore incidents and issues to aid that process.
General health and safety legislation and legal requirements
Some of the general health and safety laws which can be applied to the offshore wind power industry are detailed in this section, although none are specifically written for the industry (1). In practice, workers on offshore wind farms are more likely to follow the regulations set out by the company by which they are contracted.
The Energy Act (LOV 1990-06-29 nr 50: Act on the generation, transmission, trading, distribution and use of energy etc). The act is applicable to electrical energy and its generation, transmission, trading and distribution on land to ensure that the activities are undertaken in a socially efficient manner. Much of the act regards the applications and issuing of licences for the development of electrical equipment. In this respect it may affect the offshore wind industry, although little pertains directly to health and safety.The Ocean Energy Act (LOV 2010-06-04 nr 21: Act on renewable energy production at sea) came into force in June 2010, and is applicable to the utilization of renewable energy at sea; including wind, waves and tides. It also regulates the conversion and transmission of electrical energy offshore. The main purpose of the act is to facilitate the use of these resources in line with social objectives, and to ensure that any offshore installations are planned, constructed and disposed of in the interests of the environment, energy, and business. One requirement is that the installation, the operation, and the decommissioning of offshore energy plants should be such that “a high level of health and safety” can be maintained and developed in accordance with technological advances.
IEC 88/379/NP: Standard for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines: The new proposal was first issued in October 2010, since when the title has been changed from ‘Standard’ to ‘Technical Specification’. While it is still only a draft, the proposal includes guidelines for floating offshore wind turbines using design concepts such as spar buoys, tension leg platforms, barges, and mooring systems. The aim of the specification is to “provide an appropriate level of protection against damage from all hazards during the planned lifetime”. It defines in detail the “principles, technical requirements and assessment procedures for the design, installation, and maintenance of floating offshore wind turbines”.
Other legislation that could concern offshore wind power in relation to health and safety would include the Employment Protection Act, and possibly the Pollution Act.
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References
(1) http://www.sintef.no/upload/Teknologi_og_samfunn/Sikkerhet%20og%20p%C3%A5litelighet/Final%20report%20HSE%20challenges%20offshore%20renewable%20energy.pdf
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