BWEA Health & Safety 08

BWEA aims to ensure that Health & Safety is a top priority in the industry and that best practice is adopted to ensure the good reputation of renewable generation is maintained.

260 Operational and Health and Safety professionals attended the fourth annual BWEA Health & Safety event, held on Tuesday 29th January 2008 at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, sponsored by GE.

View proceedings (PowerPoint and audio)

It was a fantastic to see a venue completely full with an audience of interested faces. The programme was designed to reflect the types of enquiries that we receive at the BWEA, both from members and non-members alike.

The seminar began with GE's sponsor's address. Dave Farrier and Graeme Cooper then gave a summary of the work of the BWEA H&S Steering group and the key focus areas for the future gave the day a some context. With changes to the law of corporate manslaughter the audience hung on every word of Rob Elvin's presentation. Stuart Armstrong's review of the 9 months' experience of the CDM2007 regulation was very interesting for those working through, but also those just starting projects that will be effected by the regulations. After an extended coffee break to allow attendees to network and take some time visiting the exhibitors the second session kicked off.

An area most see as a bit of a mystery - Aiden West really opened eyes to the issues and concerns of the commercial divers particularly with the predicted growth offshore the messages and concerns presented will be key in the future. Another area that is poorly understood is the consideration for the safe use of jack up barges and Peter Clutterbuck presented some great thoughts and ideas. Rounding off the second morning session on a mainly offshore slant was a chilling and well delivered presentation from Mark Pearce on the realities of marine survival.

Following further networking and a great lunch the afternoon session focussed more on work at height. Declan Corrigan highlighted the challenges facing the mobile crane industry and considerations developers review as turbines get larger and heavier and are built in more remote locations. David Beckenham's presentation regarding the legal stance of "reasonably practicable" focussed the thoughts on applying the work at height 2005 regulations. Alan Woodhead gave us some very clear do's and don'ts regarding a the poorly understood area of suspension trauma and the surrounding risks and Richard Hinkley looked to products either available or in development to move the industry further up the HSE's hierarchy of controls above that of ladders and fall arrest. Finally Nick Summers briefed the seminar on the thoughts and ideas that were forming of the risks in the wind industry and offered a draft of the HSE's position regarding lifts in turbines.

Proceedings

Copies of the PowerPoint presentations and audio recordings of each session are available here.

Seminar programme

Session I
Chaired by Jim Heenan, GE Energy - Powergeneration
(09.15 - 10.45)
  • Welcome and introduction, David Farrier, Director, E.ON UK & Chair of the BWEA Health & Safety Steering Group
  • Mike Boyce, EHS Manager, GE Energy - Powergeneration: Core sponsor address
  • David Farrier, Director, E.ON UK & Chair of the BWEA Health & Safety Steering Group: BWEA H&S Steering Group activities in 2007
  • Graeme Cooper, Head of Grid, Health & Safety, and Technical Affairs, BWEA & Ian Fisher, Northumberland College: The key activities in 2008
  • Rob Elvin, National Head of Health, Safety and Environment, Hammonds: What will corporate manslaughter mean for the wind energy industry?
  • Stuart Armstrong, Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Criminal Proceedings), Senior Associate, Pinsent Masons: CDM2007: The story so far
  • Questions to all speakers
Coffee, exhibition & networking
(10.45 - 11.15)
Session II
Chaired by Jim Heenan, GE Energy - Powergeneration
(11.15 - 12.30)
  • Charles Bayston, Business Development / Operations Manager, Osiris Marine Services Ltd: The place for commercial diving within the offshore, renewable energy industry
  • John Gleadowe, Technical Director, Fugro Seacore, David Pettigrew, HSEQ Manager, Fugro Seacore, Peter Clutterbuck, Technical Consultant Fugro Seacore: Effective management of jack-up plant in the near shore environment
  • Mark Pearce and/or Derek Donald, Petrofac: Survival in the Marine Environment
  • Questions to all speakers
Lunch, exhibition & networking
(12.30 - 14.00)
Session IIIa
Chaired by David Farrier, E.ON UK Renewables
(14.00 - 15.00)
  • Declan Corrigan, Project Manager, Windhoist: As turbines get bigger… lifting and cranes, and what we need to be concerned about
  • David Beckenham, Health and Safety Assistant (environment, safety and planning), Norton Rose LLP: Reasonably practicable - passenger lifts and turbines
  • Questions to all speakers
Brief (15 minute) coffee break
(15.15 - 15.30)
Session IIIb
(15.30 - 16.30)
  • Keith Jones, The heightec Group / NARC: Suspension trauma, the do’s and don’ts
  • Richard Hinkley MInstSMM, Sales Director, Total Access (UK) Ltd: Alternative Access & Rescue in the Renewable Energy Sector
  • Nick Summers/Tim Galloway, Health & Safety Executive: General thoughts on the wind industry approach to H&S and in particular the current thoughts on “Lifts in Turbines”. Where do we go from here?
  • Questions to all speakers in the session
Final summary and close - Graeme Cooper, BWEA
(16.30 - 16.45)

Exhibition

A small number of companies were on display at the event:

 
  • Babcock Networks
  • Bridgezone Ltd
  • GE
  • Latchways
  • The National Access & Rescue Centre (The heightec Group)
  • Natural Power
  • Osiris Marine Services
  • PMSS
  • Reds Ltd
  • RPS
  • Run Energy
  • Safety Technology
  • Tag Ltd.
  • Total Access
  • TRAC
  • Uniline Safety Systems Ltd

For all exhibition queries please contact Helen Jones, Events Manager, email h.jones@bwea.com or tel +44 (0)20 7288 8375.

Sponsor the 2009 H&S seminar

If you are interested in sponsoring an element of the 2009 event, please contact Helen Jones, Head of Events & Marketing at BWEA, on +44 (0)20 7689 1968 or email h.jones@bwea.com.

BWEA would like to express thanks to the sponsors of the 2008 event:

Core sponsor:

Conference programme sponsor:

E.ON logo

Name badges / lanyards sponsor:

To receive email updates about forthcoming BWEA events, click here.