Training Opportunities | Access Techniques

GWO (BST) Training

Global Wind Industry

The wind industry is growing fast with a requirement for 142,000 new wind technicians by 2026. Choose Access Techniques as your training provider to kick start your career with leading wind turbine manufacturers and renewable energy operators.

Our Sheffield based training centre was established in 2010, swiftly gaining reputation for its excellent facilities and high quality of training. We have dedicated GWO instructors, classrooms and training structures enabling us to deliver weekly GWO training courses.

We are currently certified to deliver Basic Safety Training, Enhanced First Aid and Advanced Rescue Training; with a view to delivering Sea Survival in the very near future. Watch this space!

Our Basic Safety Training runs Monday to Thursday and encompassed the following modules. We take bookings for the whole suit or individual modules for both initial and refresher courses.

Working at Heights – Monday to Tuesday

First Aid – Wednesday

Manual handling – Thursday

Fire awareness – Thursday

Please contact us with your requirements for Advanced Rescue Training and Enhanced First Aid. We are happy to arrange bespoke courses to suit your availability.

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In addition, we also offer:

Enhanced First Aid (EFA)

Personnel who will be working in the wind industry or related fields, and who will have duties to fulfil in a wind turbine environment, as well as usually being in physical contact with a wind farm environment or an offshore wind structure.

Personnel that is selected by their employer to perform Enhanced First Aid onshore or offshore, where training according to the GWO Enhanced First Aid training may enable them to react to incidents and thus mitigate the results of casualties deriving from the identified risks.

Enhanced Rescue Training (ERT)

Personnel who will be working in the wind industry or related fields and will have their duties in a wind turbine environment. Personnel that may need or is selected by their employer to perform advanced rescue or lead an advanced rescue operation, where training according to one or more modules of the GWO Advanced Rescue Training may mitigate the identified risks.

Train. Prepare. Survive

Check availability of our advanced GWO training courses!

Enquire Availability

Course Structure

All training courses have practical elements. Ensure you are physically and mentally fit for the course you intend to attend. Make sure you have had a good nights sleep and are free from the influences of alcohol, drugs or medication.

On enrolment you will be required to provide ID documents to prove who you are. Please don’t forget this.

To upgrade to a higher IRATA level you need to show that you have met the required criteria. Your IRATA logbook showing the number of rope access hours worked will be required at enrolment. All entries should be countersigned by the task L3 Supervisor or a Responsible Manager within your Organisation.

It’s always a good idea to familiarise yourself with any guidance videos we suggest for your training course.

Confirm travel plans and review your route prior to the morning of enrolment. If you are late you will not be permitted to enrol unless you have extenuating circumstances, and even then only with the explicit agreement of your instructor.

You can find details of public transport links and local parking availability by viewing your joining instructions.

We are happy to advise on local accommodation however; we accept no responsibility for the quality or availability of your chosen hotel/guesthouse. Please contact us for more information.

Start times for all courses are clearly shown on the course information page and also in your joining instructions. Please ensure you attend the venue on time every day. Failure to complete all the required training hours may mean you are ineligible for assessment or certification, without refund.

You will be required to complete paperwork to confirm your physical and mental fitness, your eligibility to attend the training course and also for registration with the certificating body your course is approved by.

Remember to ask for help if you need assistance in completing paperwork or understanding tasks.

As with every training centre there are certain responsibilities that you as a Candidate have. You will be made aware of our rules and requirements at enrolment and throughout your time with us. Please listen carefully to these and make sure you adhere to them.

Above all; we ask you to have a safe and polite demeanor ensuring you treat our experienced instructors and your fellow candidates with respect.

Access Techniques, it’s representatives and instructors have a duty of care for you also. We promise to do everything reasonably practicable to ensure you are safe and looked after at all times when attending our venue. We promise to act in your best interests in both training, advice, and assessment. We pride ourselves in employing only safe, responsible and approachable members of staff.

Each course no matter the subject has aspects of both practical and classroom training. Normally classroom topics such as the reason why you require training, the legal implications of not having such training and best practice will be briefed initially. Practical scenarios along with individual and team based exercises will compliment your training; to ensure you are ready for assessment at the end of the course.

Refreshments will be provided in the form of tea and coffee only. There is a fridge for you to use whilst you are with us. There are also a number of local shops and food outlets for lunches locally.

Refreshment and smoking breaks are to be taken at suitable times throughout the day in conjunction with your instructor. Lunch will be a longer break taken by all candidates normally around midday.

Review any training material you have been provided with the night before your assessment day if applicable (some courses are continuous assessment). Refresh yourself on any applicable guidance videos we have provided for your course.

Ensure that you have had a good nights sleep and are free from the influences of alcohol, drugs or medication.

If you have an external Assessor responsible for certifying your competence. Rest assured that in addition to them being proven as competent by their respective Organisations, Access Techniques has also reviewed their ability to assess you. We believe they are acting in not only your best interests, but also that of those you will be working for, with or in charge of.

The IRATA Assessment will include a team exercise no matter which level of competence you are being trained or assessed to.