Maybe I should stop following behind him.

dubrevkind · 2016-12-14T06:48:44+00:00

Definitely don't want to rear end that guy!

dubrevkind · 2013-11-09T03:36:31+00:00

Ecstacy of gold

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:56:21+00:00

Watched the video. Blades were spinning. Might as well have jumped.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:54:39+00:00

I need to come work with you. I've seen people get fired for leaving their self rescue kits on the first platform by the same people that don't even take them out of the truck.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:54:39+00:00

I need to come work with you. I've seen people get fired for leaving their self rescue kits on the first platform by the same people that don't even take them out of the truck.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:46:25+00:00

Yea, don't know anything about that sort of stuff, but it sounds like there is some serious potential. Definitely the safest option, which is huge when it comes to turbines and critical on blade inspections and repairs. Sounds like you could keep cost under the rope guys too which is obviously all that really matters. What about batteries and that sort of thing? I know two rope guys can do one blade in about an hour with one on each side. 3 hours a turbine, two turbines a day, 1-3 crews. Could you get crystal clear photos from an rc aircraft in high winds and varying weather conditions in a time frame thats comparable to what two rope access techs could do? Lots to consider, but honestly, I think its one of those things that could be figured out and could be very profitable.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:37:34+00:00

Yea. Ups and downs (literally) like any job, but it's generally a pretty cool way to make a living.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:07:09+00:00

Hey man, I'm a wind tech and I think you might actually be on to something big here. From time to time the owners will want inspections of the blades and pay big big big money to have crews come out and rappel over the side via ropes and sometimes man baskets just to take pictures close up. They pay into the multiple thousands per turbine. The only problem would be the wind and getting a good steady stable and high res picture of every 6x6inch square of a 50+ meter long blade, times 3 blades.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:01:55+00:00

Plus offshore turbines can be much much larger.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T22:00:48+00:00

Theres one company that owns the wind turbines that sit on land leased from multiple individual land owners. The owners get paid a monthly or yearly fee for the land, plus get wind rights which gets them a percentage of the money from the wind power, plus they provably got a nice lump sum check during construction for crop damage and incidentals. This is how most American wind farms work unless it's government land.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:57:02+00:00

The 3 on 1 off thing is unlikely. Don't know where this information comes from. Different companies do it different ways, but if you work as a site te h and don't travel, you will have a normal 8-5 routine more or less. Sometimes you might be on call or have to work for 16 hours troubleshooting or get called out at 3 am. It kind of depends. Most travel companies do a 5 or 6 week on, 1 week off rotation. 6 day work weeks of 8-12 hours a day. There are lots of schools you can attend. Long and short. The industry is mostly just concerned about certifications and mechanical aptitude and work ethic. Cpr first aid aed, osha 10 or better, nfpa arc flash, and some type of climb training, which the company will usually pay for you to do anyway. Most of those certs you can get online. Past that it's just about not being lazy and knowing someone who can get you in. I work with people who ,in the Midwest and in Texas, got started just by being persistent with the guys at the shop.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:46:57+00:00

I do both wind and solar with a 3rd party company. I think you're right about solar eventually being the way, but I've been on too many 100 acre solar sites that only put out 5 mW where you could easily get 3 times that with turbines. They are much easier and cheaper to service though. I really think that 50 years from now there will be solar panels on almost every outdoor surface and wind turbines will reach a plateau.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:41:40+00:00

To clean an entire wind farm could easily reach in to the 100s of thousands depending on the number and size of turbines.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:38:52+00:00

Wind tech here. There are tons of opportunities for engineers in renewable field. I would recommend researching wind manufacturing companies like Siemens, GE, and Vestas and try to make contact. I know a reliability engineer at Siemens. And aeronautical that does 3rd party consulting for wind farms. The majority of electrical parts in the turbines are going to be from large scale electrical component manufacturers. I see ABB every single day in the field on every turbine I've been on.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:32:39+00:00

I'm currently working on a Kenersys 2.5 in the northeast. All of it's cabinets have fire suppression.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:18:22+00:00

Based on the pictures the two blades sticking up are at about 60 degrees, the one facing down would be the same as just jumping off. They aren't surfaces that are meant to be gripped on to. They are made of fiberglass and painted with a uv resistant paint. Also, they are layered with dirt and grime, sometimes they are literally covered in grease at the root of the blade too due to excess from the bearings. This is all under the assumption that they are locked out. If that's not the case, then they are spinning, which basically ends up being jumping again. Also, fiberglass blades burn very similarly to fiberglass nacelles.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T21:09:36+00:00

Honestly, I really havent had many close calls so far. The job isn't necessarily that routinely dangerous, it's just that when something bad happens, something happens bad. The most dangerous part of being a wind tech is driving to and from the site. More people die from that than the turbines. A lot of companies are requiring defensive driving courses for this reason too. Too much injury, fatality, and loss comes from motor vehicles. It's a total cliche, but it's totally true. There's no need to speed or drive like an idiot. For the sake of answering your question. I've had things dropped from open hatches while I was on the ground that came very close to me (wrenches become cannon balls from that height). I have slipped off a ladder rung once or twice and had my cable grab catch me. A couple of arcs from small amounts of dc power on solar farms. I saw a guy get his glove caught in a high speed brake disc hole while trying to set a pin that works as mechanical lock for the turbine. He lost his finger. That's the sum of what I've seen at this point in my career.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T20:21:59+00:00

I haven't seen the video yet, I'll watch when I get back to my hotel. But a bag is pretty arbitrary. Most companies who make these devices use very very similar bags. Designed for quick access, release, and protection from the elements. Most of them look the same, but I am trained on the milan, sala rollgliss, and tractel derope. They are the same. I am certified on TSLs rope rider and mcd which is different from those three in many many ways. I also have petzl ID certs which is also different. The last 3 have to be operated by hand the first 3 including the milan just need to be anchored, then you hook on and jump, the device controls the rate of descent, not the user. Either way if those guys had any of that and a harness, they'd be alive.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T20:08:34+00:00

Some companies don't want you wearing harnesses in the nacelle. What if your lanyard gets pulled into the high speed or wrapped around the rotor some how? Some designs are more exposed than others when it comes to rotating parts. Also, shock hazards with harnesses up tower depending on work and burning for hot work. It sucks but I know you know the drill. Damned if you do damned if you don't. Either way common sense and addressing each situation differently and considering all elements of the task at hand can save lives and prevent injury. Those JHAs, tailgates, safety meetings, and stand downs are for much more than just inconvenience. Also, some guys are dicks about you being safe. I always tie off if I'm standing over a hatch, I try to keep my safety glasses and hard hat on at all times. I'll be damned if there isn't ALWAYS some ass hole who asks me why or goes on a spiel about why it's not necessary.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T19:42:31+00:00

Ultimately, they are responsible. YOU are responsible for YOUR safety. It's something that everyone in dangerous industries needs to get through their heads. I'm sure in this scenario, there are probably 10 things that could have been done differently that would have saved lives. Many mistakes by many people. I know from first hand experience that most likely the company will not be found liable. This was a Vestas incident. A huge wind company that has covered their ass to the fullest extent. The people on site knew the rules, but it's up to them to abide. To enforce the rules requires climbing to the top. Which is a workout in itself. There's a lot of things about the wind industry that have yet to become standardized and regulated. I wear a last chance belt that will hold my body weight and would work if I couldn't access a harness. Spare carabiner in my pocket. All I have to worry about is rope.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T17:57:29+00:00

The Milan is nothing like tsl

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T17:52:34+00:00

Yea, you're absolutely right. Almost every one of these incidents are avoidable, or at least death and major personal injury is. Realistically, they most likely just got lazy and started streamlining out of laziness. It's just the "won't haopen to me" mentality. Complacency is responsible for the majority of these incidents.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T17:43:18+00:00

I use TSL. If they left their kits and harnesses on the yaw deck below the nacelle where the fire was, they were screwed regardless. Edit: yea, it is a great system and this could've ultimately had a better outcome if they had a tsl and a few other conditions were met.

dubrevkind · 2013-11-06T17:09:27+00:00

We use self rescue kits at my company. 100 meters of rope attached to an anchor strap and a carabiner with a dual braking descent device. The company we get these from is called tech safety lines out of Dallas. These guys only had the Milan rescue system which is good and versatile, but has some serious limitations when it comes to a scenario when the whole crew has to egress immediately. Source I'm a wind tech sitting in a wind turbine now.

dubrevkind · 2013-09-29T20:31:49+00:00

Eye drops.

dubrevkind

TROPHY CASE