The Nordex Group commits to GWO standards

GWO's globally recognized standard of training has helped nearly 80,000 people to work safely at a wind-turbine environment.

GWO’s globally recognized standard of training has helped nearly 80,000 people to work safely at wind-farm sites. View its interactive map of training providers here. (Image courtesy of GWO)

The Nordex Group, with an installed base of more than 25 GW of wind power capacity in over 40 markets, has become the 17th member of the Global Wind Organisation (GWO). GWO is a non-profit organization of wind-turbine owners and manufacturers, committed to the creation and adoption of standardized safety training and emergency procedures.

As a new member, the Nordex Group commits to using GWO standards where appropriate for its employees and contractors. The group is one of the world’s largest turbine manufacturers, employing 5.500 people in 40 countries. Its manufacturing network includes factories in the U.S., Germany, Spain, Brazil, and India, with plants in Argentina and Mexico to be added soon.

“The decision to join GWO complements Nordex’s existing global safety management system,” said David Goodfellow, Head of Quality, Health Safety & Environment for Northern Europe at the Nordex Group. “In addition to our own proprietary training requirements, we already expect many of our people to have similar if not identical credentials to GWO.”

The Nordex Group will now contribute directly to the development of GWO standards moving forward.

“In addition, an increasing number of our customers in the utility sector want their main contractors and employees to work according to a recognized level of safety and technical competence,” said Goodfellow. “GWO standards and the transparency of the WINDA database in which workers’ certificates can be viewed online will help us meet this important customer need.”

Training records are uploaded and stored in the GWO WINDA database, allowing members to verify training records quickly and easily, helping employers avoid unnecessary spending on re-training.

Eloy Jauregui, Safety Director of Acciona Energía and Chair of GWO added: “The wind energy industry can have a safer and more productive workforce if major employers collaborate, so we are delighted a global manufacturer such as the Nordex Group is bringing its considerable expertise to the table.”