NSF Approved as Certification Body for Global Wind Organisation

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF subsidiary NSF Certification, LLC has been accredited as a certification body for the Global Wind Organisation (GWO). The accreditation enables NSF to audit and certify wind turbine training facilities to GWO’s suite of safety standards.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), wind power is the largest renewable energy source in the United States, having more than tripled in the last decade. As demand for wind power grows, the need for specialized wind turbine construction and maintenance workers is expected to increase as well. Training and education facilities for wind turbine technicians that are certified to GWO’s occupational health and safety criteria help 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 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,” said 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, LLC sharing our commitment and look forward to seeing the growth of GWO training in North America.”

“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,” said Jenny Oorbeck, General Manager of Sustainability at NSF. “NSF’s expertise in occupational health and safety as well as sustainability enables us to protect public health and safety while supporting the growth of renewable energy at the same time.”

For more information on NSF’s wind turbine certification services, please visit NSF’s web page on wind turbine services.

Editor’s Note: To schedule an interview with an NSF expert, please contact Destiny Cook at media@nsf.org or +1 734 913 5762.

In 2019, NSF is celebrating 75 years of protecting and improving human health. The independent, global organization 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. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in 180 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

GWO (www.globalwindsafety.org) is a non-profit organization of globally leading wind turbine owners and wind turbine manufacturers, committed to the creation and adoption of standardized safety training and emergency procedures. Collectively, GWO members represent over 90% of global installed wind capacity and include eight of the world’s 10 largest manufacturers in its membership. Certified independent training providers deliver GWO-standard training to almost 80,000 workers in 40+ countries. Training records are uploaded and stored in the GWO WINDA database, allowing employers to verify training records quickly and easily, helping avoid unnecessary spending on re-training.