UK: Maersk Training Given Go Ahead by GWO

The stage is set for North East England to become a global leader in wind turbine training after Maersk Training Newcastle becomes the UK’s first – and one of only a handful around the world – to be given the go ahead to run courses approved by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO).

Maersk Training Newcastle was given an overwhelming thumbs-up to run its basic safety training course after an independent auditor from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) visited Maersk’s state-of-the-art training facilities in North Shields recently. The GWO programme is a globally recognised standard and is often the first step for those wanting a worldwide career in wind power. Currently only a few centres around the world have GWO approval – one of them is also another Maersk Training facility in Esbjerg, Denmark.

Covering the basic safety skills required for those working – at sometimes eye-watering heights – on wind turbines, the five modules includes specially tailored modules for the wind sector in sea survival, first aid, manual handling, fire awareness and working at height. At Maersk, the training will be carried out in a variety of realistic simulated environments including the centre’s own 20 metre tall wind turbine training tower.

Originally set up to establish worldwide best practice and reduce accidents in the fast he growing wind power sector, the GWO is a coalition of the world’s leading wind players including Siemens, Vestas and EON. By creating a training standard and ensuring workers entering the industry meet this, the GWO hopes to reduce the risks for employees on wind turbines both on and offshore.

With the doors now open for delegates from around the world to train in the UK, Maersk is anticipating high demand for its course.

 General Manager of Maersk Training in Newcastle,Vijay Rangachari said: “Becoming the first centre in the UK to be able to offer the complete suite of GWO modules is a great coup for us – as well as the North East. We are also Renewable UK approved hence we are unique in being able to offer our customers the right training and help them be prepared as per the highest standards in the industry.

 “The global wind industry is experiencing unprecedented growth and there are many resulting skills shortages that need to be plugged. This means the opportunities are endless for both business and individuals. We are delighted that we can now play our part in helping to address these industry shortages, at the same time as helping people get the basic level of skills required to enter this exciting growth sector.

 “Maersk Training’s sister centre in Denmark was the first in the world to achieve GWO approval earlier this year so it’s great to be able to follow so quickly in their footsteps.

 “Our promise to our customers is to deliver as per the highest standards in the industry and helping our customers prepare ahead for changes in the industry. We are happy that we continue to deliver on this promise. The auditor from DNV, who assessed our centre, gave some fantastic feedback, particularly noting the high level of competence and qualifications of our instructors and the high standards of our facilities. There were seven noteworthy points from the audit. It’s a great endorsement of the high standards we adopt at Maersk Training Newcastle and something we are very proud of.”

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, August 15, 2012; Image: maersktraining