Latchways has announced its successful tender to supply DONG Energy with sealed self retracting lifelines across all future European wind farm projects.

The agreement covers the Danish company’s new Anholt wind farm as well as two additional sites off Borkum in Germany. Latchways ManSafe® Sealed Self Retracting Lifeline (SRL) units will be used to protect personnel involved in operation and maintenance duties. This part of the contract, which runs until at least October 2013, involves equipping employees working on a total of 284 offshore wind turbine generators.

DONG Energy’s tender was designed to select a self retractable fall protection system that provided a hands-free solution for ascending and descending ladders. The process particularly looked for three key attributes: ease of use, ease of access and high security.

The ManSafe Sealed Self Retracting Lifeline offers a dependable means of fall protection whilst climbing an offshore wind turbine access ladder. Complimented by a tether line system, the SRL can accommodate wave swell movement ensuring that accidental locking doesn’t occur when transferring between the vessel and access ladder.

Designed to work in the harshest offshore conditions this product's unique features provide a safer, stronger and more convenient alternative to traditional SRLs. Certified with Ingress Protection (IP)68 the device’s sealed status keeps individual components dust tight. It also meets IP69K standards to allow high pressure, high temperature wash down operations (for cleaning purposes).

Five particular features of the ManSafe Sealed SRL helped fulfil DONG Energy’s tender requirements:
• Patented frictionless braking system that won’t go out of adjustment ensures consistent performance in all conditions
• 100% Full Contact™ locking mechanism that won’t freeze, hang up or corrode
• Manufactured from high quality components ensures durability
• Critical components are sealed and protected from the external environment by a series of gaskets
• Complete field serviceability significantly reduces the lifetime cost of ownership.

The offshore wind farm DONG Energy is building between Djursland and the island of Anholt will be the largest ever built in Danish waters. Construction is set to complete in the financial year 2012/13. Having developed half the world’s major offshore wind farms DONG Energy uses this considerable experience in all its new constructions.

DONG Energy went through a prequalification process before the EU tender. Following successful prequalification Latchways was invited to submit a full tender along with a number of other suppliers in October 2011 and went on to win the bid. Latchways believes this successful tender bid was down to engineering a product that is smarter, safer, stronger and better than traditional SRLs