A safer way to walk on nacelles

A common part of a wind technician’s job is walking atop nacelles. Here, a technician uses a Wind TRAM. The safety device attaches to the worker’s waist, helping to prevent falls.

Working on top of a nacelle is a common and dangerous part of the job for wind technicians. It’s no surprise that proper fall protection there is mandatory. Commonly, technicians use locks and cables or attach safety straps to low-mounted rails to protect against falls. This makes them bend awkwardly to attach devices or, worse, leave themselves unattached.

Standfast (www.standfastcorp.com), a company that specializes in height safety systems, has developed a better way to protect windpower workers and others who must work at height. After considering the challenges inherent for workers at the top of a turbine, especially egonomics, Standfast developed the Wind TRAM (Total Restraint Access Module).

The Wind TRAM tilts down, offering a low-profile position to facilitate a safe worker transfer from a ladder to the turbine top. Once connected, a worker can erect himself and the TRAM, then walk the length of the nacelle attached to the device by two straps and hand on the TRAM at waist height, always facing the direction he is going.

The device allows an adequate work radius, with a standard safety strap length of 750 mm. On the TRAM, straps are connected to anchor points at about waist height. Because the length of the lanyard is less than the height of the anchor points, should a worker lose balance, he will swing back onto the nacelle.

The device can be installed on new equipment or retrofitted to existing equipment. Once installed, the device requires little maintenance. It comes with a 10-year warranty on major metal components and a 2-year warrant on moving parts. WPE