title: [Offshore substation workers' exposure to harmful factors - Actions minimizing risk of hazards].
abstract: The current development of electric power industry in Poland, especially in the field of renewable energy sources, including wind power, brings about the need to introduce legislation on new work environment. The development of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations that must be met by new workplaces, such as offshore substations becomes necessary in view of the construction of modern offshore wind power plants - offshore wind farms. Staying on offshore substation is associated with an increased exposure to harmful health factors: physical, chemical, biological and psychophysical. The main sources of health risks on offshore substations are: temperature, electromagnetic field, noise from operating wind turbines, direct and alternating current, chemicals, Legionella bacteria and social isolation of people. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the problem of offshore substation workers' exposure to harmful factors and to present methods of preventing and reducing the risk-related adverse health effects. In this paper, there are identified and described risks occurring on offshore substations (fire, explosion, lightning, accidents at work). Some examples of the means and the methods for reducing the negative impact of exposure on the human health are presented and discussed. The article also highlights the need to develop appropriate laws and health and safety regulations concerning the new working environment at the offshore substations. The review of researches and international standards shows that some of them can be introduced into the Polish labor market.
authors.affiliation: Politechnika Warszawska / Warsaw University of Technology, Warszawa, Poland (Instytut Elektroenergetyki, Wydział Elektryczny / Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering). pawel.piotrowski@ien.pw.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Paweł Janusz
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Piotrowski
authors.affiliation: Politechnika Warszawska / Warsaw University of Technology, Warszawa, Poland (Instytut Elektroenergetyki, Wydział Elektryczny / Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering). sylwester.robak@ien.pw.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Sylwester
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robak
authors.affiliation: Politechnika Warszawska / Warsaw University of Technology, Warszawa, Poland (Instytut Elektroenergetyki, Wydział Elektryczny / Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering). mateusz.polewaczyk@ien.pw.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Mateusz Maksymilian
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Polewaczyk
authors.affiliation: Politechnika Warszawska / Warsaw University of Technology, Warszawa, Poland (Instytut Elektroenergetyki, Wydział Elektryczny / Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering). rraczk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raczkowski
mesh_terms: D004560:Electricity; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011044:Poland; D011210:Power Plants / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014919:Wind
keywords: harmful electromagnetic fields; harmful factors; occupational safety and health; offshore substation; preventing adverse health effects; wind farm