I&P Lifting Gear

Safety at Height have installed a GlideLoc Fall Protection System onto a 1MW tidal stream device destined for Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.

The groundbreaking project by UK company Marine Current Turbines, will be the world’s first commercial scale tidal stream energy scheme connected to an electricity network. The twin-turbine device, known as ‘SeaGen’, will have the capacity to generate clean and sustainable electricity for approximately 800 homes in the Portaferry and Strangford areas.

Tidal stream devices work, in principal, much like submerged windmills, but driven by flowing water rather than air. They can be installed in the sea at places with high tidal current velocities, or in places with fast enough continuous ocean currents, to take out energy from these huge volumes of flowing water.

The GlideLoc Fall Protection System will provide safe and controlled means of access for MCT staff working in areas where fall risks exist. A shock absorbing travelling device runs along the GlideLoc rail providing a strong and secure link between the users harness and the system.

Edward Richards, Marine Current Turbines, said: ‘The GlideLoc system was the only one that could fulfil our needs. We need to have safe and secure access from whatever level the tide is at through to the full height of the ‘SeaGen’ turbine.