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What happened?
A hydraulic pump was due for replacement on an offshore wind farm. The task had been completed recently on nearby turbines with no issues arising during the maintenance or after the fact.
In order to access the hydraulic pump for replacement, the motor needs to be removed with all isolations in place and cowling covers must not be removed.
In this event however, when lifting the motor out using a leaver hoist, internal components span and unwound.
The motor was lifted approximately 20mm (0.8 inches) and the shaft was still located inside the housing with the fan, meaning there was no risk of any rotating parts hitting any technicians.
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Why did it happen?
After an investigation, it was found that due to the pump failing, it didn’t allow the backlash in the motor to play out.
When the motor was removed, the backlash was released, which made the fan on the rotor shaft spin.
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What did they learn?
The method statement did not explicitly state that the fan cowling should not be removed before the motor.
The method statement was later updated to clarify that the fan cowling is a safe-by-design feature and must not be removed unless controlled under the safe system of work (SSOW) process.
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Ask yourself or your crew
How can we make changes to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future during similar jobs?
What should we do if this happens again to minimise disruption?
Has the method statement and SSOW been read and understood by all parties?
Are there enough control measures in place to mitigate this next time?
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What happened?
A hydraulic pump was due for replacement on an offshore wind farm. The task had been completed recently on nearby turbines with no issues arising during the maintenance or after the fact.
In order to access the hydraulic pump for replacement, the motor needs to be removed with all isolations in place and cowling covers must not be removed.
In this event however, when lifting the motor out using a leaver hoist, internal components span and unwound.
The motor was lifted approximately 20mm (0.8 inches) and the shaft was still located inside the housing with the fan, meaning there was no risk of any rotating parts hitting any technicians.
Why did it happen?
After an investigation, it was found that due to the pump failing, it didn’t allow the backlash in the motor to play out.
When the motor was removed, the backlash was released, which made the fan on the rotor shaft spin.
What did they learn?
The method statement did not explicitly state that the fan cowling should not be removed before the motor.
The method statement was later updated to clarify that the fan cowling is a safe-by-design feature and must not be removed unless controlled under the safe system of work (SSOW) process.
Ask yourself or your crew
How can we make changes to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future during similar jobs?
What should we do if this happens again to minimise disruption?
Has the method statement and SSOW been read and understood by all parties?
Are there enough control measures in place to mitigate this next time?
A motor lift caused internal components to unwind during hydraulic pump replacement, but the shaft remained housed and no technicians were put at risk.
