Maersk Training has initiated five new Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Basic Safety Training Refresher (BSTR) courses. The new courses cover Manual Handling, First Aid, Fire Awareness, Work at Height and Sea Survival and are obligatory for all GWO trained personnel who wish to continue working in the Wind industry after their initial certification has expired.
Maersk Training were the UK’s first training provider to achieve accreditation for all 5 GWO modules in 2012. The standards for Basic Safety Training (BST) have been developed by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), an association of Wind Turbine owners and manufacturers, with the aim of supporting an injury-free work environment, through the establishment of recognisable Basic Safety Training (BST) in the wind industry. The safety standards are based on risk assessments and factual incident statistics within the industry related to the installation, service and maintenance of wind turbines.
Stuart Cameron, Maersk Training, Managing Director commented: “Our GWO Basic Safety Training Refresher courses are designed to underpin skills and knowledge previously gained to avoid skills fade and maintain a high level of awareness of safe working practices.”
“They are designed to teach how to control and mitigate operational hazards both from a theoretical and practical standpoint. Best practice health and safety standards are a fundamental necessity if we are to reduce risks for personnel working on wind farm site. We expect the new GWO refresher courses to be very popular among wind industry professionals, especially given that we were the first training provider in the UK accredited to teach them.”
If the GWO Refresher courses are taken prior to the expiry of the full certificate, they can be completed across 3 days, with one additional day if the GWO Sea Survival Refresher is required, compared to doing the full GWO courses again which are 6.5 days. GWO certificates last for 2 years, with the exception of Sea Survival which is 4 years duration. Anyone who attended a GWO course in 2012 is now due for renewal. The GWO Refresher package is scheduled to run each week from 27th May 2014 onwards.
Press release, April 14, 2014; Image: Maersk Training