Difficulties of Working at Heights! In the fields of alternative energy

The alternative energy industries are growing quickly because more and more people want to live in a way that is good for the environment. As this industry grows, more and more people will need to develop and fix different types of renewable energy systems, like solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal plants, increasing the risk of working at height.

Setting up and keeping these kinds of systems running requires operating at great heights, which presents many safety issues for personnel in this field.

The Danger of Falling from Structures Where You Work at Height

Renewable energy systems often have structures that are very high up. Working at heights to build and maintain these buildings might be dangerous due to the risk of working at height, as they can fall.

 
Wind Energy: Wind turbines are the main structure that is high up in a wind energy system. They hold up the blades and nacelle, and they can be 100 meters or more tall. The wind blows the hardest up high, which is why this happens.

You also have to deal with meteorological towers when you set up a wind energy plant. They figure out the best place and height to put up wind turbines by measuring the wind's speed, direction, humidity, and temperature. They aren't as tall as wind turbines, but they are still tall enough to hurt or kill people. Because of this, there's always a risk of working at height. Also, workers sometimes have to utilize cranes and other specialized tools to put together, install, and access the parts of wind energy projects that are high up.

 
Solar Energy: People put solar panels on roofs or other high places. Inverters and electrical switchgear that are part of a solar energy system can be many meters above the ground. It also has transmission towers that send power from the panels to the electrical grid.

Workers may need to utilize ladders and work platforms to get to rooftops and put up, fix, or maintain solar panels and other parts of the system.

Geothermal Plants: Workers at a possible geothermal location might have to build tall drilling towers to get to the geothermal reservoir. This means that as they operate near deep holes, pits, and trenches built to put in the pipelines, they could collapse. 

The risk of working at height also comes into play when putting up, checking, or fixing towering structures that are part of the power generation system of a biomass plant, like cooling towers, heat exchangers, and steam turbine generators, where people can fall.

Workers can potentially fall from ladders, platforms, scaffolding, and aerial lifts that are utilized to get to the structures that are at height at geothermal facilities.

Biomass Plants: Boiler rooms in biomass plants transform water into steam. These boiler rooms are very big, and workers may have to climb up to inspect and fix things like the boiler roof, fans, and heat exchangers.

Another tall structure that workers need to get to to load and unload biomass fuel is a biomass storage silo. The fuel supply system of a biomass plant also has parts that need to be worked on at height, like valve stations and support structures, which adds to the risk of working at height.

Cooling and transmission towers are two more tall buildings at a biomass facility. People who install, maintain, and check work-at-height structures at a biomass plant employ mobile lifts, ladders, scaffolding, and maintenance platforms to get to them. These platforms are very high off the ground; therefore, workers need to be trained and have the right fall protective gear.

Other Factors Contributing to Fall Hazards

Environmental and situational considerations can increase the risk of working at height, making it much more dangerous for personnel in the alternative energy sectors.

Poor Weather: When workers are outside in heavy winds, rain, snow, or lightning, they are more likely to slip, trip, and fall from heights.

Electrical Hazards: When operating at heights, workers in the alternative energy sectors who use high-voltage equipment need to be extremely careful.

Equipment Failure: If not correctly secured or cared for, fall protection gear like a safety harness or rope, or the tools needed to get to high places like a ladder or scaffolding, could fall apart.

Companies in the alternative energy sector must give their personnel high-quality fall protection and restraining gear, such as ropes, safety harnesses, and lanyards. This equipment is essential for minimizing the risk of working at height. Safety helmets, eyewear, and the right shoes are also important for keeping workers safe.