SAFETY FEATURES

ORIGINAL FEATURES

Adequate strength for complete safety in storms is built into all Comet Windmill Towers.

The 4-Post design and heavy steel construction enable the Comet Tower to stand solidly in 130km/h winds (90mph). All tower parts are designed with a high safety factor. A wide spread and 4-point anchorage gives better stability and more working room.  No matter how you look at it 4-posts will always be stronger than 3.

Standard Safety Package

4-Post galvanized steel tower

Overlapped Hardwood platform

Widened galvanized steel ladder set out from tower for ease of scaling and optimum safety

Safety First Package

Above Features plus...

Galvanised steel platform with grate floor, perimeter toe plate and heavy duty support angles

Retro-Fit for Existing Mills

The Safety First Package can be made to retro-fit to any existing mill incl 3-post towers

Safety Equipment

We can also supply safety equipment such as safety harness and lanyard system; gloves, safety glasses.

SAFETY                    TRAINING

SAFETY SYSTEMS

Most Windmill Towers are already fitted with a Ladder. The instruction in this section is directed towards the safe use of the installed ladder.

 Many falls from heights result from the non-use of ladders, for example, where crates, the Ute or truck are used to access heights instead of properly setting up a ladder. However, each type of ladder has specific safety requirements and considerations.

Ladder and Tower safety systems

Ladder and tower safety systems are temporary or permanent fall-arrest systems, which can be installed to provide continuous fall protection for persons using ladders or climbing towers (see Figure 1). These can be used on different types of plant, such as tower cranes, as well as buildings or structures.

Note: With the use of a ladder tower system, the person climbing has continuous fall protection by being attached to the anchorage by a drop line and harness.

Working platforms

 Where portable or fixed ladders are used as working platforms, check that:

 • a fall-restraint or arrest system is used, if the person is exposed to a fall of three or more metres.

 Refer to AS/NZS 1891.4 for anchorage requirements;

 • three points of contact with the ladder are maintained at all times. This means that there should be two feet and one hand or two feet and the frontal D ring on the harness attached to the fall-arrest/restraint line or inertia reel (see Figure 2 below); and

 • no work is carried out over another person. Ensure signage is used to warn people of work above.

Double lanyards

An alternative to ladder and tower systems is the use of a double lanyard (also known as a twin tail or ‘Y’ lanyard). Figure 3 shows how the use of a double lanyard means that the person climbing can always be connected to the ladder or structure and, if there is a fall, it should be a short distance.

However, double lanyards are easy to misuse – there should be no back hooking, they are not suitable for frequent use (because of possible misuse or muscle injury) and the ladder or structure points must be capable of arresting forces generated by a fall with the double lanyard. Adequate training must be provided on their use.

Adapted from the Australian Windmill Contractors Association Draft Guidance Notes For Working on Windmills 2005