A second escape route is required by European standards and occupational health and safety legislation in order to be able to leave a wind turbine quickly in an emergency. A rescue device from SKYLOTEC is often used in such cases. This is stored in a sealed box at the site of operation. Through over 20 years of uninterrupted performance and endurance testing, the global protective equipment brand has continuously extended the life of rescue equipment stored in this way. Now SKYLOTEC presents the “Endurance Pac”, which allows life-saving equipment to be stored for up to 30 years. This is cost-effective as turbine downtime and technician working hours are reduced, while purchase cycles for new equipment are extended.
“SKYLOTEC's 'Endurance Pac' has a service life of up to 30 years. This corresponds to the usual service life of a wind turbine."
Manufacturers, owners or operators of wind turbines or service companies of wind farms are responsible for the safety of their employees even in an emergency. In practice, the use of rescue equipment, which is stored directly in the nacelle, has proven itself for such cases. Two employees can use them to abseil down simultaneously outside the tower if a descent inside is no longer possible. The “Milan” rescue device from SKYLOTEC has established itself as a standard device in recent years. As of now, it can be stored in the so-called “Endurance Pac” and has a service life of 30 years if checked regularly. This corresponds to the usual service life of a wind turbine.
The central content of the “Endurance Pac” is a centrifugal braked rescue device from the “Milan” product line. This enables safe and hands-free abseiling at constant speed. As the market leader for evacuation and rescue equipment, SKYLOTEC relies on over 70 years of experience in the production of protective equipment and corresponding systems for quality assurance in manufacturing and development. Added to this is the expertise in centrifugally controlled rescue equipment, which has been part of the product range for over 20 years. SKYLOTEC has already specifically stored “Milan” units from the first production series until today and exposed them to various environmental influences. In this way, the durability could be permanently further developed and improvements achieved. This includes, among other things, several years of load and laboratory tests with ropes or webbing slings as well as with “Milan” devices in realistic environments and under extreme conditions.
“Through a viewing window, authorised inspectors can check the moisture indicator inside - and thus the proper condition of the unit.“
These materials are subject to a natural ageing process, which is also influenced by factors such as moisture, UV radiation and corrosion. The “Endurance Pac” sets new standards here: the storage box is tested according to military standard 810G. It can therefore withstand the extreme weather conditions that can prevail in offshore wind farms. In addition, direct weather influences inside the box are excluded, and the natural ageing process is considerably slowed down. The “Endurance Pac” is completely air-tight throughout its entire service life and is also resistant to UV radiation, water, solvents, corrosion, fungal or impact damage. This means that safe functioning of the rescue equipment can be guaranteed over a service life of 30 years. Self-luminous stickers are attached to the box. This makes it easily visible even in an emergency.
Resilient beyond standard requirements
The now longer storage time of the rescue equipment also means increasing demands on the material. When it comes to safe abseiling from the tower of a wind turbine, for example, no component is more important than the brake. For its “Milan” product range, SKYLOTEC has its own development and component production with an affiliated test laboratory. The latest result is a new brake lining for the “Milan” brake. This achieves a heat transfer that far exceeds the normative requirements. Components made of stainless steel also increase the load capacity during use, reduce abrasion and are more resistant to corrosion at the same time. Once stored in the “Endurance Pac”, the “Milan” is expected to achieve a safety level of 99 percent after 30 years despite the natural ageing process – and is thus twice as high as required by the currently valid standard EN 341:2011.
Advantages with annual review
In addition, the “Endurance Pac” offers advantages during the annual inspection. This is facilitated by the fact that a moisture indicator inside shows an authorised inspector the condition of the unit through a viewing window; the inspection does not have to be carried out by a trained expert. If the condition is perfect, it marks it with the month and year of the next inspection. It is not necessary to open the sealed box. In addition, the rescue device does not have to be sent to the manufacturer for an annual inspection.
For wind energy providers and external service providers, this is significantly cheaper than purchasing new rescue equipment. In addition, they can make a noticeable contribution to environmental protection with the “Endurance Pac”, because the logistics effort for transporting equipment to and from the site to be inspected is significantly reduced - and with it the CO2 emissions. Under optimal conditions, the recommended service life of storage boxes at SKYLOTEC was previously limited to ten years – with the option of extending the service life to 15 more.
Further information at www.skylotec.com/eu_en/endurance-pac.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
SKYLOTEC GmbH in Neuwied was founded in 1947 and is one of the leading manufacturers of personal protective equipment against falls from a height and safety systems in industry and sports. In addition to an extensive product range in the field of fall protection, the portfolio also includes intensive consultation and service, as well as a worldwide training programme at the Vertical Rescue College. The combination of expertise from the industry and the knowledge gained from practical use leads to ever new innovations from which the users benefit - whether at work or in their leisure time. In 2020, the family-owned company expanded its range to include respiratory protection and has since been producing medical face masks as well as masks for light respiratory protection (FFP masks). SKYLOTEC currently employs around 870 people worldwide and maintains its own production facilities in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Sweden and Slovenia as well as branches all over the world.