Safety Insight on Offshore Wind Industry
New safety analysis can be used to harmonize safety on board offshore vessels carrying wind turbine technicians. The Danish Maritime Authority is striving to make the International Maritime Organization (IMO) develop international standards.
The Danish Maritime Authority has hosted two workshops with experts from the offshore wind industry at which a safety analysis was made for vessels carrying wind turbine technicians – now, this has resulted in a report.
The normal operations of this vessel type have resulted in a risk scenario considerably different from that of both ordinary cargo ships and passenger ships.
Major risks are related to:
- fire
- hull and accommodation integrity
- stability
- man-over-board
- incorrect handling and storage of dangerous goods
- unsuccessful evacuation and rescue.
Director Per Sønderstrup from the Danish Maritime Authority, said, ”The safety analysis shows that there is good reason to focus on safety on board these vessels and it provides important insights into these special ship operations. We will use the report to harmonise the safety standards of vessels carrying wind turbine technicians."
The safety analysis was made as a follow-up on the report that the Danish Maritime Authority published in January 2016. This report identified the regulations and industry standards applicable to maritime operations in the Danish, British, German, and Netherland offshore wind sector.
The 2016 report showed that there is a special need to harmonise the safety standards of ships carrying turbine technicians.
The safety analysis can be used by the offshore wind industry, shipowners, naval architects, shipyards and the Danish Maritime Authority as such.
The Danish Maritime Authority will continue its work in the IMO drafting a common international safety standard for the carriage of offshore technicians.