Record year for wind energy safety
Published: 09 March, 2022
Global wind markets turned to industry training standards in record numbers last year, as GWO training courses became the go to safety option for employers worldwide.
Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non profit body representing the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers and owner/operators recently published its Annual Report 2021, Building A Global Community of Safety and Training, showing a 21% growth in the size of the GWO Trained Workforce[1], reaching a total of 122,573 people (2020: 100,052).
GWO strives to create an injury free working environment in wind by ensuring workers receive a standardised, basic minimum level of training. The organisation’s long term strategy, Safety without Borders, aims to grow the availability of courses, supported by quality assurance and a growing portfolio of safety and technical training standards fit for use on any platform.
During 2021, 82 new training providers certified, bringing the global network to a total of 444, spread across 48 countries.
Meanwhile, GWO training, particularly in Asia, North America and South America has been growing faster relative to the rest of the world.
Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, explains: “2021 has been another year of successes for GWO and our growing community. Despite the challenges we all faced in the continuing pandemic, safety training in the wind industry has continued to thrive. Our 2021 Annual Report tells just a small part of the global story created by the many people from our members to the individual technicians who together make real the promise of the green energy transition.”
Paul Robbins, Chair of the Global Wind Organisation Executive Committee & Chief H&S Specialist at Vestas, adds: “With 82 new GWO certified Training Providers in 2021, we depend a lot on GWO training providers to deliver training that will keep our technicians’ safety skills updated and fulfilling, and I am happy to see GWO training providers have really stepped up when our industry needed them most. This resulted in almost 320,000 GWO courses being completed last year, an amazing feat that I would like to thank and congratulate the entire network for their work in achieving.”
View the GWO Annual 2021 Annual Report Here
[1] The GWO Trained Workforce is a number representing course participants holding at least one valid training record in GWO’s WINDA database.
