March 2023-February 2024
Background: Global wind energy is experiencing an unprecedented period of expansion. Such requirements present challenges concerning maintaining safety standards and training at scale with industry data indicating a range of hazards during operations and maintenance activities. Wind technicians work in small teams to conduct critical operations and maintenance tasks on wind turbines often in remote, hazardous environments.
Research Gap: Industry evidence suggests behavioural issues significantly contribute to these incidents, yet the limited human factors (HF) research in offshore wind typically focuses on design and physiology. Whilst the previous scoping review identified a list of 13 potential HF impacting on onshore and offshore wind worker safety, health and productivity, it was based on a small number of papers with relatively modest sample sizes.
Current Study: Three online stakeholder workshops with 53 stakeholders working in wind energy were conducted to identify the principal HFs impacting offshore wind technicians during operations and maintenance activities. This study focused on people working in the industry including operations managers, wind technicians, health and safety managers and consultants, policy makers and researchers.
The study produced a framework of 14 human factors across four areas:
The findings provide an evidence-based foundation for improving safety, training and workforce wellbeing in offshore wind and the wider renewable energy sector.
Watch selected presentations from the stakeholder workshops on our YouTube Channel.
Funded by
Aerial view of wind turbines at sea, North Holland, Netherlands 
Server Network Data Business Internet Technology Concept.