By design, both onshore wind power projects and offshore wind power projects are located in windy and gusty locations – some of the windiest locations around the world. Accordingly, environmental work hazards on wind power projects include weather hazards and weather events. Numerous resources on wind power projects identify weather phenomena that impact as-planned activities and operations, including but not limited to high winds, micro bursts, tornadoes, blowing snow, blowing sand, lightning, heavy rain, heavy snow, hail, and freezing rain, for example.
Microburst Events
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) defines a micro burst” or “microburst” as “…a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter.” Further, the NWS differentiates between dry microbursts and wet microbursts, with significant precipitation commonplace in the southeastern U.S. during the summer months. The NWS warns that microburst events can cause severe damage at ground level, and in some instances, can be life-threatening.
Lightning Strikes
Thunderstorm and lightning events pose numerous hazards to wind power sites and workers, from equipment damage to electrocution to fires, as wind turbines act as lightning rods and attract lightning strikes. Best practices for wind power sites alert team members when lightning is detected within a 60-mile radius and again when lightning is detected within a 30-mile radius, to enable technicians to evacuate a wind-turbine tower in advance of the lightning strike. Technicians in a wind-turbine tower during a lightning strike can be killed!
Keywords
blowing sand, blowing snow, construction, construction industry, dry microbursts, EHS, environment, environmental work hazards, freezing rain, gust, hail, health, heavy rain, heavy snow, high winds, lightning, lightning rods, lightning strikes, micro bursts, microbursts, offshore wind farm, onshore wind farm, safety, tornadoes, weather, weather events, weather hazards, wet microbursts, wind, wind farm, wind gust, wind power, wind speed, wind turbine, wind-turbine technicians, wind-turbine tower
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(Source: Kilcollins, Wayne. Maintenance Fundamentals for Wind Technicians. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.)
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