Labels & Signs
For The Wind Power Industry
Labels & Signs In The Wind Power Industry
Wind Power Growth
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a vision for wind power to supply 20% of America's electricity by the year 2030. In 2008, wind power was the source of a little over 1% of America's electrical supply. However, with the DOE's vision in place, the only way for wind power generation to go is up. And the vision is fast in action. The wind power industry experienced rapid growth in 2008, and the way is prepared for renewable energy like wind power to become a major force in power generation for America. Leading the way for wind power in the United States are Minnesota and Iowa, where over 7% of these states' electricity was generated from wind in 2008, and Texas, where the largest amount of new capacity was installed.1
Across the world, wind power produces about 1.5% of worldwide electricity use.2 The USA, Spain, China, India, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Australia are some of the biggest players in the world's push for greater use of renewable wind energy, and each year more countries join the effort.
Wind Turbine Safety
As the wind energy industry grows, so grows the need for wind turbine safety awareness. Understanding unique hazards associated with wind turbines is a must so that machinery, tools, confined spaces, ladders, fall arrest systems, work areas, turbine parts and other applications can be properly labeled to meet industry safety standards.
Wind Turbine Hazards
Working on and around wind turbines presents unique hazards. Hazards range from the biggest hazard of all, falls, to electrical hazards (commonly resulting in shock and fires in the turbine's nacelle), rotating mechanical equipment, confined space, lock-out, hazardous energy, dropped tools and more. Regular maintenance is needed in, on and around wind turbines for a number of reasons. Given all of these hazards and opportunities to be seriously injured or worse, the presence of safety labels and signs meeting IEC, ANSI and OSHA standards is so vital. Workers need visible reminders and reliable direction when operating and maintaining wind turbines.
1 American Wind Energy Association, Annual Wind Industry Report 2008. http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets/Industry_Rankings_Factsheet.pdf
2 World Wind Energy Association, World Wind Energy Report 2008. http://www.wwindea.org/home/images/stories/worldwindenergyreport2008_s.pdf
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