The U.S. Department of Energy released the Offshore Wind Liftoff Report. This offshore wind report talks about the challenges and opportunities with offshore wind development projects.
While only 250 megawatts of offshore wind projects are currently operational, the offshore wind industry could grow sixty times larger by the end of the decade to 15 gigawatts. Thus, the offshore wind industry is at an inflection point.
Advantages of offshore wind
Located near coastal population centers that have high energy demands, offshore wind offers clean energy without taking up scarce land. The report also notes that offshore wind “can also drive economic development, providing sustainable opportunities for jobs, manufacturing, and revitalized legacy maritime and grid infrastructure.”
The federal government predicts that the growth could create nearly 80,000 jobs by 2030. These jobs could include engineers, wind technicians, welders, electricians, machinists, divers, and laborers.
Concerns over safety in offshore wind industry
The concern, however, is whether the offshore wind industry can grow safely. Growth that sacrifices worker safety is not acceptable. A recent study has shown that offshore workers are 3-4 times more likely to be injured than offshore oil and gas workers. These injuries can include back injuries, head trauma, cuts, and fractures.
Transportation to and from the offshore wind projects can be by either boat or helicopter, each with its own unique dangers. Boats can be dangerous with injuries including equipment failures, being struck by cargo, trips and falls, and capsizing. A helicopter can crash, causing serious and catastrophic injuries, including burn injuries, head trauma, and fractures.
Common causes of offshore wind injuries
Common causes of injuries on offshore wind projects include bad weather, lack of training, equipment failure, operator error, poorly secured cargo, and inadequate safety training, policies, and procedures.
Challenges in offshore wind safety
Several issues affect safety in the offshore wind industry. Since the industry is relatively new, there are no industry-wide safety standards. Accurate and timely weather forecasting will be important for worker safety, especially as wind farms move further from shore. Likewise, timely and accessible emergency care is a must for workers injured in this dangerous industry.
Seek legal advice if injured
If you’re an offshore wind worker injured on the job, you can’t afford to settle for less. You need skilled legal advice from a Houston offshore wind accident attorney.
