A recommended international physical fitness standard for offshore windfarm technicians Phases 1 and 2

The results presented in this report constitute work carried out in Phases 1 and 2 of a three phased work stream, looking into the assessment of physical capacity required by wind technicians (WT) working offshore. The University of Portsmouth (UoP) has worked with the members of the G+ to conduct a job task analysis, and has presented the minimum physical capacities required by offshore WT as well as preliminary ideas about how these could be assessed. Such assessments of physical capacity are based upon the essential frequent and essential infrequent tasks undertaken by WT. The assessments of physical capacity should ensure that WT have, and maintain, a level of fitness that is sufficient to safely perform and withstand the physically demanding tasks associated with the job, to at least a minimum acceptable standard.

As a result of the work to date, it has been possible to:
- Identify the job tasks that are considered to be essential tasks of WT
- Validate the identified essential tasks with a different cohort of WT and associated subject matter experts (SME)
- Quantify the metabolic demands (i.e. intensity and duration) of essential tasks during a typical working day
- Quantify the physical demands for some of the identified tasks e.g. loads lifted, number of repetitions, the aerobic/anaerobic contribution of ladder climbing
- Assess the physical demands associated with casualty evacuation
- Recommend the minimum physical requirements for the essential tasks
- Provide the G+ with four video recordings, representing different ladder climbing speeds. The purpose of these videos is to assist the G+ with deciding if a minimum standard for ladder climbing can be agreed upon, and if so what this should be
- Identify potential methods for the assessment of physical capacity
- Identify where the proposed physical capacities could be assessed