Rescuers practice 160-meter high wind turbine rescue scenario
Rescue Board personnel have this week been rehearsing the rescue of an injured worker from the gondola of a wind turbine in Pärnu County, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.
Rescue exercises where the scenario is an incident involving a wind turbine have been held in the past, but this is the first time in Estonia a rappelling from a turbine tower of that height has been carried out.
The Rescue Board (Päästeamet) currently has rope rescue capabilities for heights up to 50 meters, while the exercise, at the Sopi-Tootsi wind farm, involved a wind turbine over three times that height.
Mihkel Uueküla, a specialist from the board, said: "Today, the rescuers rehearsed for a scenario where a wind turbine maintenance technician had been injured in the gondola above and needs to be brought down on a stretcher. There is an elevator inside the turbine, but because the technician has sustained such injuries, unfortunately he cannot be transported down using that elevator."
The exercise made use of a dummy standing in for the injured turbine technician, which was then lowered on a stretcher from a height of 159 meters, after which the rescuers descended. One descent takes about six minutes.
One of the rescuers involved in the exercise, Meelis Nõlvak, from the Keila rescue unit, said: "It really is a serious overcoming of oneself, that initial moment of hanging there, it was really scary. But also very cool."
Uueküla said: "The rescuers did well. If a real accident were to happen, the nearest rescue unit in Estonia would always respond to the incident, and, in addition, if special equipment or capabilities are needed, then the nearest specialized unit will respond."
Innar Kaasik, board member at renewables firm Enefit Green, said: "Accidents with turbines are rare, but we also have to be prepared for them. If an accident did occur, we would need to have a clear understanding, our contractors must have a clear understanding, and likewise the unit personnel must have a clear understanding, that rescue from a turbine is possible."
The Keila unit has a rope rescue capability, and its personnel were joined by those from the Vändra and Pärnu-Jaagupi units.
The exercise started on Monday and will continue through to today, Thursday, with a total of about 50 rescuers taking part. Training with height environments provides experience and shows what kind of capabilities and equipment might be needed in the future.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
