Spring 2023 updates on BST Working at Heights, BTT and Requirements for Training and Certification.

GWO’s Spring 2023 updates come with a brand-new look that addresses user feedback and provides more clarity and ease of navigation. In addition, shared elements and preambles have been harmonized across all the standards to improve coherence. Detailed information about these changes can be found in the change log of each standard.

Jakob Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, explains:

“This update is significant for several reasons, and we thank our stakeholders for their patience as it arrives slightly later than the usual April 1st deadline. Firstly, we have redesigned all our documents, making them easier to read and navigate. Secondly, there are several updates to the content that influence multiple standards with changes cascading across common learning areas. These are in many cases safety concerns changes that have required input and approval from employers, pilot testing by training providers and quality assurance checks to align the documentation for publishing.

“While we encourage training providers to adopt updates as quickly as possible, the usual six-month grace period from today’s publication of these updates to withdrawal of the old versions, remains in place. As such, you have until 2nd November to adjust processes, lesson plans, management systems and equipment inventories where necessary. As ever, our team is available to receive your questions and I encourage you to reach out with any enquiries you may have.”  

2nd May 2023, Basic Technical Training Standard V8 Released

• Launch of new Bolt Tightening Module (BTTB) within BTT to improve the safety and quality of bolt tightening when using energy powered tools and accessories in the wind industry.

• Three safety lessons removed from BTT which had been transferred to Control of Hazardous Energies (CoHE) Standard have been reintroduced. BTT now includes the provision that these lessons may be skipped if the participant maintains a CoHE record.

2nd May 2023, BST Working at Heights and aligned modules (ART, ART-R, BST, BSTR, BSTR-P, Lift and WLA. Various version numbers)

• Following initial GWO safety advice in December 2022, GWO has (with the help of a specially convened working group) further reviewed the interlocking safety issues relating to correct specification of equipment used when working at height.

• New versions of these standards with updated modules are now online. For a comprehensive summary to the changes in BST Working at Heights please see the following document.

The latest versions of GWO’s Requirements for Training (V 13, previously referred to as ‘Requirements for Training Providers’) and Requirements for Certification (V12, previously referred to as Requirements for Certification Bodies’) are now also available. These versions accommodate changes coming up from the community with an emphasis on responding to new technologies and the practical application of the multi-site certification scheme launched in October 2022.

On May 25th, GWO will be holding a webinar and a live Q&A session, presenting the new changes.

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