Explosions in the large scale production of biogas, falls from rooftops when installing solar or micro-wind, and exposure to toxic, flammable and explosive substances in the carbon capture process are just some of the hazards.
Meanwhile, the sector is heading for a skills gap. Experienced workers are retiring at the same time as the workforce needed grows, delegates heard at the Energy Networks Associations’ annual safety conference on Thursday.
“The main issue is the novelty of the technologies themselves,” said Institution of Occupational Safety and Health president Gerard Hand. “There is a lack of safety data available.”
Steve Johnson, chief executive of Electricity North West, said the industry must guard against giving people dangerous tasks with inadequate skills to carry them out safely.
“One of the key controls has always been the competence of our people,” he said. “Once we move away from the standard of competence required, the output is inevitable: there will be more accidents.”
The new and increased risks coincide with a political drive to cut red tape. The coalition has set a one-in, two-out rule for regulations. However, Jane Willis of the Health and Safety Executive said the existing legislative framework was sufficient. “We will work with the industry to apply it well,” she said. “But we are not complacent.”