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Centrica
- Location: Grimsby, Lincolnshire
- Sector: Renewables and Offshore Wind
HFR Solutions supports Centrica’s emergency preparedness for offshore and onshore wind farms
Centrica’s emergency preparedness for operating and maintaining offshore and onshore wind farms is further improved with the latest consultancy and specialist rescue training from HFR Solutions CIC
Case Study Requirements
Centrica is a leading energy supplier and services company operating one onshore and two offshore wind farms in the UK. Safety is one of their five key strategic focuses, with a mission statement incorporating the principle ‘zero harm’.
To help achieve this, the business invited HFR Solutions CIC to observe an offshore emergency exercise, and report on any issues and skill gaps. Centrica then conducted an internal review of the comprehensive report prepared by HFR Solutions CIC.
While under review, Centrica’s emergency response procedures were tested with a live casualty evacuation from the spinner in the nacelle, leading them to request HFR Solutions CIC to conduct specific on-site rescue training. The incident prompted Centrica to ask the question ‘Could this have been done better?’ and as a result ‘Project Boy Scout’ was commissioned.
Solution
Designed to ensure those operating and maintaining a wind farm had the skills and confidence to do so with increased safety, Project Boy Scout involved:
- One of the UK’s first fire risk assessments on a wind turbine.
- The amalgamation of three separate emergency response plans into a single, consistent plan covering all three wind farms.
- The creation of dedicated rescue plans for key areas on the wind farm turbine generator with testing of all plans ensuring they are achievable with the designated equipment.
- Development of an advanced medical training process to manage incidents in remote areas
- Delivery of bespoke rescue training to ensure competency of all personnel working offshore.
- Implementation of offshore rescue exercises with maintenance teams.
Simulated rescues were conducted off-shore, testing identified credible scenarios to identify complications in routine tasks, to assess how rescue techniques should be applied and what equipment should be utilised.
Testimonial
Tony Lyon explains the impact of ongoing training, saying, “HFR Solutions CIC provided evidence that the type of knowledge we were looking at gradually fades unless regularly used or practised. They advised that training should be at frequent intervals so that the procedures are at the forefront of our minds in an emergency.”
Shaun Lyons, Lead Instructor at HFR Solutions CIC says, “Training based on hypothetical scenarios could leave gaps in our understanding, potentially leading to inadequate guidance. Role-plays gave us a clear picture of the requirements so our advice was fact-based and robust.”
Working together HFR Solutions CIC and Centrica ensured not only were the current training standards maintained, but built upon to ensure individual competency across the workforce utilising a frequency based training program. The program addresses all the potential issues arising from the identified credible scenarios and the successful training is then recorded on a framework which can be interrogated to demonstrate individual competence.
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