FEM publishes wind turbine safety guidelines

Wind forces acting on loads during lifting operations have led to serious accidents in the wind turbine industry.

Lifting turbine components in strong wind can present a potential danger not to be underestimated. A guideline titled Safety Issues in Wind Turbine Installation and Transportation has been issued by the Fédération Européenne de la Manutention – Product Group Cranes and Lifting Equipment.

The new guidelines, available for download in the Related Files box to the right of this story, follow on from an FEM safety alert, Document N 0219, published in April 2010, issued in conjunction with the European Association of Abnormal Road Transport and Mobile Cranes ESTA.

The new document is to inform crane operators, project planners and also crane companies about safety issues during rigging of wind turbines, especially about wind influences on a mobile crane on the job site. it includes an introduction to the basics of wind loads as covered by the European Standard for mobile cranes, EN 13000.