Ann Arbor-based NSF International subsidiary NSF Certification today announced it has been accredited as a certification body for the Global Wind Organization (GWO). The accreditation enables NSF to audit and certify wind turbine training facilities to GWO’s suite of safety standards.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wind power generates 6.6 percent of annual electricity used in the United States, based on a report released in May. By comparison, natural gas is at 35.1 percent, coal (27.4 percent), nuclear (19.3 percent), hydropower (17.1 percent), and solar (1.6 percent).
Both solar and wind turbines are subsidized and often mandated forms of energy production.
With the GWO certification, NSF will offer training and education facilities for wind turbine technicians that are certified to GWO’s occupational health and safety criteria. The certification helps to ensure a safe work environment by delivering a standardized training for those working in the wind turbine industry.
As an accredited certification body, NSF International will conduct regular audits of training facilities to ensure proper maintenance of factors such as equipment, training processes, personnel, and training environments.
“Our industry needs access to more standardized safety and technical training, and this means more GWO training providers in North America,” says Brian Walencik, EHS Leader at GE Renewable Energy and Chair of the GWO North America Committee.
“To support this business need, certification bodies are there to audit training providers and make sure they deliver according to GWO’s standards and criteria. We are pleased to see companies like NSF Certification sharing our commitment and look forward to seeing the growth of GWO training in North America.”
Jenny Oorbeck, general manager of sustainability at NSF International, says: “Wind turbine construction and maintenance is challenging work, so it is important for technicians to have proper occupational health and safety training to mitigate risks.”
NSF International facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences, sustainability, and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. The company, founded in 1944, has operations in 180 countries.
