Securing a wind turbine is essential to guarantee the safety of people working near the wind turbine as well as the durability of the structure.
It is crucial to take proper safety precautions to protect workers and members of the public from potential hazards associated with wind turbine operation.
To meet the requirements of free exit for operators, corrosive external conditions, external bad weather such as sandstorms, salt fog (1000 h) and extreme temperature ranges ranging from -20°C to +70°C, it may need to develop a bespoke closure solution.
Here are some things to consider in meeting these requirements:
High quality materials: The materials used for the closure solution should be corrosion, rust and weather resistant.
Rugged Design: The closure solution should be designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions such as sandblasts, salt spray, and temperature extremes. It must also be sturdy and durable to ensure a long life. The lifespan of a lathe is on average 20 to 25 years for nearly 8,000 estimated openings.
Locking device: The locking solution must be equipped with a locking device to prevent unauthorized access. It can be a key lock system, combination locks or electronic locks.
Masterkey system is an effective method for managing authorizations and access for each operator, each stakeholder and each supplier involved in the operations of a wind farm, in particular on masts and delivery stations.
Additionally, a powerful combinatorial capability can be used to optimize the management of different access levels and permissions in the organization chart. This makes it possible to guarantee the security of operations while facilitating the management of stakeholders and suppliers.
For effective management of the masterkey system, it is important to take into account the different levels of access, the responsibilities of each stakeholder and the management of suppliers.
An interlocking solution can be used to limit access to the various equipment and work areas in a wind farm according to the authorizations of the workers. This solution consists in using interlocking systems which make it possible to control the accesses and the authorizations according to the tasks to be carried out and the levels of competence of the interveners.
The principle of interlocking consists in using mechanical or electromechanical devices which make it possible to lock the various equipment and work areas, so that only an authorized person can access them. These devices can be locks, safety switches, sensors, badge readers, etc.
Interlocking can be integrated with the masterkey system to ensure efficient authorization and access management. Depending on the authorizations and the tasks to be performed, workers can be authorized to access certain work areas and equipment, while being prevented from accessing others.
