GWO training forum – what’s on STL USA’s agenda

GWO training forum - what's on STL USA's agenda

See you in Orlando, October 7-9th?

The team at STL USA are super excited for this year’s GWO Training Forum. This year’s event takes place at the Renaissance Airport Hotel, Orlando 5445, Forbes Place, Orlando, from the 7th (welcome reception) to the 9th of October.

A lot is going on so here’s a summary of the key elements from STL USA’s perspective and what will be on our agenda this year.

Training Team of the Year

The STL USA team are delighted to have been shortlisted for Training Team of t the Year. This award recognizes outstanding work by GWO training providers, celebrating distinction in all aspects of training. Regardless of the outcome, the STL USA team are proud to be amongst such excellent companies in this year’s shortlist.

You can watch our submission for the awards, click here.

RESQ Solo X, grab a sneak peek at the GWO Forum welcome reception

Personal safety is due for an upgrade, it’s time to stop using outdated tech!

See Solo X at the GWO Training Forum reception on October 7th 5:30 pm> 7:30 pm 

Renaissance Airport Hotel, Orlando

October sees the launch of the RESQ Solo X, a major leap forward in personal evacuation and rescue devices. The RESQ Solo X is the result of a close and collaborative partnership between Cresto Safety and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. 

RESQ Solo X was engineered to reduce both the weight and complexity of existing evacuation solutions, addressing two key challenges faced by wind professionals, key challenges not being fully met by the existing generation of manual devices.

RESQ’s and Siemens Gamesa’s shared focus was on crafting a device that technicians could trust and rely on. Poul Parning, Senior EQS PPE Specialist at SGRE, highlighted this priority: “We wanted a device that was lightweight, simple to use, and capable of meeting the demands of taller turbines. The Solo X does just that — it’s designed for a single person, so it’s as easy as connect and go.”

GWO Training Quality

STL USA takes prominent positions on training and safety committees at both GWO and ACP. STL USA was the first, and to date still the only, US training provider that can deliver instructor qualification training. This is all part of STL USA’s approach to lead on quality and standards. Working closely with GWO, STL USA is currently sponsoring an update to standards to reflect a more defined approach to working at height structures, the use of backups and various fall arrest to better align with best practices and local legislation.

Training quality is and always will be a primary focus for STL USA and we look to push this agenda at every opportunity.

Growing pains in the USA for GWO

GWO adoption has exploded in North America, but this has brought with it some growing pains. High on our agenda for this year’s forum will be to discuss solutions to these issues, namely:

  1. Lack of auditor availability
  2. Lack of auditor understanding of national, OSHA, regulations
  3. ALck of training provider understanding of OSHA regulations, particularly working at height
Whilst we applaud the adoption of GWO standards, we are also focussed first and foremost on safety, and we think that it’s now time for the organisations involved to take steps to ensure this culture is driven by safety as a priority.

 

To conclude we are very excited for this years GWO Training Forum we can’t wait to see you there!

 

Interested in Solo X?

Click the button to learn more

Learn More

Stop using outdated tech – the RESQ Solo X is here

Developed in collaboration with Siemens Gamesa, the RESQ Solo X is here!

This revolutionary product is the result of a close and collaborative partnership between Cresto Safety and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. As a proud member of the Cresto Alliance, STL USA is delighted to be able to bring this groundbreaking device to the USA market.

The RESQ Solo X represents another great addition to the RESQ line of rescue and evacuation devices which are the benchmark for quality, performance and safety around the world.

Cresto Safety x Siemens Gamesa

This revolutionary product brings a new standard of safety and simplicity to wind professionals working at height.

From the very start of this project, the RESQ team set out with one clear goal: to make wind turbine evacuations safer, simpler, and more reliable. Working alongside the safety experts at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), RESQ listened, adapted, and designed a solution that meets the complex needs of technicians operating in challenging environments. The outcome? A device that’s lightweight, easy to carry, and offers peace of mind in the most demanding situations.

“Exactly What We Needed”

Jan Østergaard Laugesen, Senior Key Expert Engineering – Team Lead SE EQS OTM at SGRE, expressed his delight with the final product. Reflecting on the process, he shared: “The design, the size, the weight – exactly what we needed.” RESQ Solo X was engineered to reduce both the weight and complexity of existing evacuation solutions, addressing one of the key challenges faced by wind professionals.

Jan further explained the significance of this breakthrough: “RESQ Solo X reduces both the weight and the complexity, making evacuation simpler and safer.” Whether it’s climbing higher turbines or moving between multiple locations, the Solo X delivers unmatched portability. “It is reliable, portable, and easy to carry. The device is designed to go with you, ensuring safety no matter where you are,” he added.

Designed with Wind Techs in Mind

From the outset, RESQ’s and Siemens Gamesa’s shared focus was on crafting a device that technicians could trust and rely on. Poul Parning, Senior EQS PPE Specialist at SGRE, highlighted this priority: “We wanted a device that was lightweight, simple to use, and capable of meeting the demands of taller turbines. The Solo X does just that — it’s designed for a single person, so it’s as easy as connect and go.”

Solo X has a sleek and ergonomic design bringing added benefits. Poul emphasised: “The Solo X checks all those boxes — it’s functional, reliable, and looks great too.” We know that confidence in safety equipment comes not only from its functionality but also from how it feels and looks, making the Solo X a device that technicians will want to carry with them every day.

Celebrating the Journey

This collaboration Cresto/RESQ Siemens Gamesa has been a journey of innovation, problem-solving, and trust. Working hand-in-hand with industry experts like Jan and Poul has allowed Cresto Safety to push the boundaries of what’s possible in height safety solutions. The result is a product that we are incredibly proud of – one that addresses real-world challenges and brings a new level of safety to wind professionals everywhere.

Take a look at the Solo X promo video featuring Jan and Poul, as they share their experiences in developing the RESQ Solo X and the impact they believe it will have on the industry. Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone and discover why the Solo X is setting a new standard for personal evacuation devices.

 

As we launch RESQ Solo X in the USA, we couldn’t be more excited for what this means for the future of wind turbine safety. RESQ together with Siemens Gamesa, have created something truly exceptional, and we’re proud to share it with you today.
 

Where can i see and try Solo X?

If you are joining us at the annual GWO training forum, October 7-9th, in Orlando come and say hi and grab a look at the Solo X, we will have the devices on show at the event welcome reception.

If you’re keen to try a descent and get to grips with just how easy Solo X is to use, then we will be hosting several open days where you will be able to use the device on our tower, these will be held in November, January, and March. We will also be going on the road and would be happy to visit your site to show you the device. 

 

Interested in Solo X?

Click the button to learn more

Learn More

STL USA – Shortlisted for Training Team of the Year, North America

Wind technicians up a wind turbine

STL USA is delighted to have been shortlisted for this year's GWO Training Team of the Year!

The awards, first launched in 2021, shine a light on the teams and individuals who make delivery of GWO standards possible, training hundreds of thousands of wind technicians in GWO courses every year in over 50 countries worldwide.

Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, says: “The GWO Safety & Training Awards are one of the highlights on our calendar and I am delighted to see them back for 2024. The programme is back, bigger and better than ever before and I know that the competition from entrants will be intense.”

GWO revealed the shortlist for the 2024 Training Team of the Year award a short while ago, with STL USA one of just three in the running for the North America award. This award recognizes outstanding work by GWO training providers, celebrating distinction in all aspects of training.

Whatever the outcome, we are proud to be amongst such excellent company in the running for this year’s award. We would like to congratulate all the finalists for being shortlisted and thank them for their contributions to our industry and their ongoing commitment to keeping all our wind energy colleagues safe.

Have a watch of the video below, where our superb Training Team showcase their incomparable passion and pride for what they do.

Learn more about the team

Click the button to meet some of our amazing team.

About Us

Personal rescue device – Wind Escape

Personal rescue device

True innovation in personal rescue

Wind Escape: A Rescue Descender for Wind

The Wind Escape is a personal rescue descender designed for use in wind, telecommunications, industry, and oil and gas. It features an auto-lock, two or one-hand descent, anti-panic braking, smooth horizontal movement, shock absorption, and partner rescue features.

Auto-Lock

The Wind Escape’s auto-lock feature provides a secure hold when the user is not actively descending. This prevents the user from accidentally slipping or falling.

Two or One-Hand Descent

The Wind Escape can be descended with either one or two hands. This makes it ideal for use in situations where the user’s hands may be occupied, such as when carrying a load or helping another person.

Anti-Panic Braking

The Wind Escape’s anti-panic braking system helps to prevent the user from losing control of the descender in the event of a panic. This can be a lifesaver in situations where the user is feeling overwhelmed or scared.

Smooth Horizontal Movement

The Wind Escape’s smooth horizontal movement allows the user to move freely while descending. This is important in situations where the user may need to navigate around obstacles or uneven terrain.

Shock Absorption

The Wind Escape’s shock absorption system helps to protect the user from injury in the event of a fall. This is important in situations where the user may be descending from a great height.

Partner Rescue

The Wind Escape’s partner rescue features allow the user to safely rescue another person who is in trouble. This can be a lifesaver in situations where the other person is unable to descend on their own.

 

The Wind Escape is a versatile and reliable rescue descender that is ideal for use in a variety of industries. It is easy to use and features a number of safety features that make it a valuable tool for any rescue worker.

 
Additional benefits of using the Wind Escape:
  • It is lightweight and compact, making it easy to transport and store.
  • It is made from high-quality materials that are designed to withstand tough conditions.
  • It is backed by a warranty, which gives you peace of mind knowing that you are covered in the event of a problem.

If you are looking for a reliable and versatile rescue descender, the Wind Escape is a great option. It is a valuable tool for any rescue worker who needs to safely descend in a variety of conditions.

Technical Specifications

– Minimum use temperature of -30°C.
– It incorporates 5mm diameter Technora rope resistant to high temperature and tears.
– Easy maintenance thanks to its vacuum packaging that simplifies the revision.
– Customisable rope length of up to 200m.
– CE EN 341:2011/2D: working load 40 – 120kg.
– ANSI Z359.4-2013: working load 60 – 141kg.
– 200m version’s weight: 4.4kg.

Find out More

Speak to a member of the team and arrange a demo

Speak to the Team

Rise of the wind techs – TCGM meet up

Rise of the wind techs - TCGM meet up

Join us June 9th in Abilene, TX.

STL USA is delighted to welcome the Tower Climbing Grease Monkey’s (TCGM) team on June 9th. 

The day will be split into two halves. In the morning the TCGM team will be at our Abilene facility to tour the site, have some fun on the tower, and meet with the STL USA team.

 

Then it’s over to the Mesquite event center where there’ll be food, drinks, and a chance for everyone to let their hair down.

Address details:

STL USA training center

Mesquite event center

 

We hope to see you there!

 

Keep up to date

Join the newsletter and keep up to date with what’s happening at STL USA

Join Newsletter

Cleanpower OMS preview

OMS preview

Join us at Cleanpower Operations, Maintenance and Safety 2023

Once again we’re looking forward to exhibiting at Cleanpower Operations, Maintenance & Safety. This year brings a change of venue to the Marriott World Center Orlando. Whilst we will most certainly miss San Diego we’re looking forward to some Florida hospitality and a chance to reconnect with our customer base from all over the country.

This year our VP Ben Dickens will be taking part in a panel discussion alongside Dan Ortega from GWO and Billie Jones from TSTC. They will be discussing training the workforce of the future, something on everyone’s mind. This is particularly relevant given the striking demand for workforce growth wind will see over the next 10 years. Ben and Billie particularly will be keen to discuss how industry training such as GWO can be incorporated at an earlier stage in education and how this can ease training pressure on employers and speed up recruitment.

STL USA will be exhibiting at stand 507, come and say hi! We will also be joined by our colleagues from Cresto Group who will be showcasing a range of PPE and rescue devices specifically for the US market.

As ever it’s sure to be a great conference, we can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet new customers.

See you in orlando.

 

Live from AWEA OMS2020

We’re live at AWEA OMS2020, come and see us at booth 314.

We made it to OMS2020 from London to San Diego! We’re super proud to be exhibiting at this year’s American Wind Energy Association O&M safety conference. This year we are showcasing some brand new equipment alongside our GWO training courses in Iowa, Texas and soon to be Kansas City. It’s been a great opportunity for us to meet with our partners, customers and make new friends in the wind community.

 

OMS2020

 

This years attendees from STL USA are Ben Williams and Ben Dickens. As we’ve been told having two Ben’s makes it easy to remember! This year our agenda is super focused on the labour challenges faced by the wind sector. Discussions we’re having at OMS2020 will enable us to develeop a raft of course programmes that address these issues directly. As a long standing GWO member it’s vitally important that we work together to manage these challenges in a safe and sustainable manner.

 

Come and say hi, Booth 314.

 

[dt_default_button link=”https://safetytechnologyusa.com/gwo-training-course-booking/” button_alignment=”left” animation=”fadeIn” size=”big” default_btn_bg_color=”” bg_hover_color=”” text_color=”” text_hover_color=”” icon=”fa fa-chevron-circle-right” icon_align=”left”]Get in Touch[/dt_default_button]

 

 

 

What we’re discussing at AWEA O&M safety conference.

As we get closer to heading to San Diego for this year’s AWEA O&M safety conference we thought we highlight the key areas of focus for STL USA.

This year’s AWEA O&M safety conference will be a great opportunity to connect with our friends and colleagues across the industry, discuss the topics that really matter and work out how we can collectively solve these issues together. STL USA will be exhibiting on booth 314 come and find us.

For STL USA our focus this year is on a number of key areas including; developing offshore capability, launching Basic Technical Training and working with the labour supply chain to ease the bottleneck of trained technicians entering wind.

 

Offshore safety training, GWO Sea Survival.

With significant developments taking place on both the East and West coast, including the Ocean Wind site, demand for offshore technicians has never been higher. This puts huge pressure on the need for GWO Sea Survival courses, located within a sensible travelling distance of the fields. Currently the market is very thin. Offshore facilities have historically been centred around the Oil and Gas sector, located around the Gulf of Mexico but this needs to change given winds development on the East and West coast. To this end STL USA are actively seeking out sites to ensure we can meet this demand from the growing sector.

 

Developing Technical training, GWO Basic Technical Training

We believe that 2020 will see increasing importance placed on the need for technical training in the wind sector. As demand continues to grow for trained individuals only so much can be serviced from techs moving across sectors, in-house training and labour movement. We believe that 2020 will be the year where BTT becomes a key access point for people wanted to work in wind, whether high school or college leavers or those transitioning from unrelated areas. Ensuring a consistent flow of manpower is going to be crucial and we’re lucky that this is also recognised by our partners at Texas State Technical College.

 

How can we move people into wind energy faster?

Recent conversations with partners and clients have led us to explore the manpower problem from all angles in recent months. We clearly have an issue in the sector, there’s not enough technicians and not really enough places to train them. These are classic teething problems of a fast growing sector and something we’re keen to address. Ideas we’ve explored include a credit based system for experienced workers at height to gain credits on GWO course for existing qualifications, a transition path covering technical course modules and safety. We haven’t got a definitive answer to this question, what we do know is that we will need to come together as a sector to address this issue. New course formats and markeing criteria will need to be developed, tested and rolled out. AWEA O&M safety conference is a perfect place to do this, we look forward to speaking with you there.

 

AWEA O&M safety conference will be busy, the best way to ensure a conversation with STL USA is to book a meeting slot. Just click the link below.

 

[dt_default_button link=”https://calendly.com/safety-technology-usa/awea-o-m” button_alignment=”center” animation=”fadeIn” size=”big” default_btn_bg_color=”” bg_hover_color=”” text_color=”” text_hover_color=”” icon=”fa fa-chevron-circle-right” icon_align=”left”]Schedule a Time[/dt_default_button]

 

 

 

 

Looking ahead to AWEA O&M 2020

AWEA O&M 2020, join us at this year’s AWEA Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference in San Diego.

AWEA O&M 2020 takes place this year on the 26th and 27th of February in San Diego. STL USA will be there showcasing our latest GWO training services and taking place in a number of panels on training and safety systems.

There are now over 56, 000 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 100 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy in the ground and 22 GW expected offshore by 2030 across the United States.

But what’s the impact looking like for operations in the 2020s? Larger turbines, advances in storage and predictive maintenance are the types of technology trends that have the potential, if done right, to create more efficiencies and more reliable energy. A successful wind project requires more than top-notch technology; its most important asset are the people who maintain the projects.

Despite wind and solar technicians being the two fastest growing jobs in the country, the industry is struggling to meet the needs of a growing number of projects, many of which are coming off warranty. Owner operators are faced with the daunting task of meeting these needs on a tighter budget while continuing to keep the safety of their techs as the top priority.

How can the industry practically leverage technology like digitalization, crane-less work, and drones to ensure the safety of their workers? What efforts are underway to properly prepare and train workers? This year’s O&M and safety conference will focus on these important workforce issues for owner operators.

Safety Technology USA will be front and center on these discussions as we bring our global training experience to the fore. The USA is not alone in experiencing these challenges, more mature wind markets in Europe have worked through the same growing pains. With a history of training across Europe and beyond Safety Technology USA are well positioned to support owner operators through this period of fast growth.

 

Meet us at O&M, booth 314 in the Coronet Room.

Click below to arrange a meeting time.

 

[dt_default_button link=”https://calendly.com/safety-technology-usa/awea-o-m?month=2020-02″ button_alignment=”center” animation=”fadeIn” size=”big” default_btn_bg_color=”” bg_hover_color=”” text_color=”” text_hover_color=”” icon=”fa fa-chevron-circle-right” icon_align=”left”]Schedule a Time[/dt_default_button]