How to Evacuate a Wind Tower

In order to work as a wind tower technician, you have to be certified to be able to evacuate from the nacelle in case for whatever reason you can not escape down the main tower. Of course no one has ever had to do this within the company I'm working with (will remain unnamed) or in the history of modern wind towers. If there is any chance of a storm, no one climbs the tower. But, because by law we have to know how, we are certified before we are allowed to work full time as a technician. In this video you see one person above the hatch where he will repel out of the tower. Normally, he would only be attached to the rope his hand is on. Because this is practice, belaying is used as a backup (safety first!). The person to the left in the video is the belayer. I'm the person videotaping the exercise.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 0623091130
• 0623091136
• emergency
• wind power
• evacuation
• practice
• what to do
• wind tower
• wind turbine
• safety
• wind
• farm
• technician
• climb
• tower
• in
• windtower
• turbine
• power
• inside
• the
• nacelle
• hub
• of

[tiato99]

Questions:

1. Why is there extra friction on the ID when it is only one person?

2. Why the ID in the first place?

3. What instruction?

4. What the hell is taking so bloody long? Nearly 2 minutes from the start of the clip and you are not out. God help you if there is a fire in the nacelle.

This is for sure the wrong system for evacuation

[sk33f3]

@tiato99

These are some good questions. Just to reiterate, this is a training exercise, and therefore we are taking it slow so the new guy (myself at the time) can learn it. Normally it takes seconds to get out.

1) The ID (industrial descender) has a carabiner that helps direct the rope. When there is a lot of weight on it, the friction is larger, but the extra weight keeps it moving fast. When one person is on it you take it out so that there is less friction.

2) See #1.

3) ?

4) See above.

[sk33f3]

For those not aware, this was a training exercise to demonstrate how to evacuate the tower to a new wind tower technician (me). This video shows them going slowly so that I would be able to learn the procedure easier. This procedure can be done much faster than in the video.

[NJRocks281]

i would beat him goin down the ladder in fact I think I'd have time to take a piss before he hit the ground.

[ltr450racer22]

What a terrible system. Tech Safety Lines utilizes an MCD2 like commandos use to rappel out of helicopters. Can be rigged in under a minute.

[SkeptikSnarf]

@ boggstrer

search for a college that will train you in wind turbine operations and maintenance. I am going to such a college and will graduate with an associates in May, look up Mesalands Community College

[kabee66]

not a cumdersome id,he just doesnt know the sweet spot, and the turbine is a baby, keep practising fellas oneday it might be a fire up there..

[bndfishing]

Wow what a cumbersom unit. SALA makes a system that is so much easier to use.

[Landing0nwater]

Petzl ID!

[so600]

Thanks for the great video and information. In Ireland wind turbines are a fairly new concept and I find them intriguing. I would love to see a good up close video of the sections being connected. Thanks for your video.