In response to growing industry demand, Maersk Training, in partnership with offshore wind turbine manufacturer MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, has become the first to offer an Advanced First Aid course specifically tailored to the needs of personnel working in the wind energy sector.
Due to the increasing distance from shore to turbine and the prolonged time for medical professionals to reach a casualty in an emergency, a greater emphasis is being placed on arrangements for emergency medical treatment. The same challenges apply to working on onshore wind turbines in remote locations, such as the Scottish Highlands, so the course is also applicable to personnel working there.
The Advanced First Aid course builds on the skills acquired at the basic first aid level. It enables rapid intervention in the event of severe or life threatening trauma or illness by equipping technicians with the skills required to quickly stabilise a casualty. It also allows personnel to effectively monitor the casualty until specialist medical treatment arrives or they can be safely moved to appropriate medical facilities.
The Advanced First Aid course has been developed in parallel with a specially designed Wind Turbine Emergency Trauma Pack which contains all of the lifesaving equipment used during the course. The trauma pack has been designed to be lifted using the “T-piece” davit, nacelle crane or an internal hoisting system and will ensure that technicians in the field have ready access to the emergency medical equipment they have used during training.
Wayne Mulhall, Service Director at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, said: “ Advanced first aid skills are critical to personnel working in offshore wind, many sites are over 20 km from land and transit times mean medical assistance can take longer to arrive than working onshore. Therefore it is critical that our service technicians are able to administer a higher level of first aid treatment as soon as possible after a potential injury.”