Is GWO Training Becoming Just a ‘Tick Box’ Exercise?

At wind energy events, we often ask organisations about their training needs. The responses are revealing. Some treat it as a critical business function. Others? Not so much. We’ve heard it all:

“Oh, the person in the office just sort that.”

This kind of response is a red flag — a sign that, for some businesses, GWO training has become a tick-box exercise: a quick, cheap, convenient compliance task to check off before moving on.

And while streamlining bookings and reducing admin time matters, we believe the wind sector must ask a bigger question:

Is your training actually preparing your people for the risks they face offshore and at height?

GWO Compliance ≠ Effective Training

Yes, GWO sets a standard. And yes, that standard ensures consistency across training providers. But that doesn’t mean the learning experience, delivery, or impact is the same across the board.

Let’s break it down:

• Two providers may both run a certified Working at Height course.

• One runs it in a shed with scaffolding.

• Another runs it in a realistic turbine environment, with tailored pre-learning, scenario-based simulations, and post-course support.

Both may technically meet GWO criteria.

But only one delivers what your wind technicians really need: confidence, realism, and competence in high-risk situations.

Why It Matters in the Wind Sector

Working in wind — especially offshore — isn’t just another job. The risks are high, the environments are extreme, and the margin for error is razor-thin.

When training is:

• Rushed

• Delivered with low realism

• Focused purely on course completion

…it creates a dangerous false sense of preparedness. Best case? The delegate struggles to retain the content and has to repeat the course. Worst case? They freeze in a live rescue or fail to act under pressure.

What Does Meaningful GWO Training Look Like?

To ensure GWO training delivers lasting value, ask the right questions when choosing a provider:

• Do they specialise in the wind industry, or are they delivering generic safety training?

• Is the training delivered in realistic, wind-specific environments?

• Do they prepare candidates beforehand, or just expect them to show up and pass?

• Are post-training materials and support available?

• Do they actively engage in promoting safety culture — or just deliver what’s required?

  
  

The Risk of "Minimum Viable Training"

GWO modules define minimum durations, but it’s what happens during those hours that counts. A checklist-style provider might:

• Deliver theory and practicals back-to-back with minimal context

• Skip deeper discussion or skill reinforcement

• Offer little or no post-course support

Meanwhile, a high-quality provider might:

• Send pre-course eLearning to build baseline knowledge

• Use simulated turbine environments to mimic real rescues

• Create high-pressure scenarios to assess readiness

• Provide feedback, documentation and follow-up for ongoing learning

Guess which model builds real-world competence?

Not All GWO Training Is Created Equal

Take Working at Height Rescue.

A generalist provider might teach this using a platform or generic training frame.

But a wind-focused provider like Safer at Work uses:

• Purpose-built nacelle and hub simulators

• Offshore transfer mock-ups

• Real turbine components to simulate restricted access and vertical rescue

That difference? It matters — because that’s what your team will face offshore.

What We Stand For at Safer at Work

At Safer at Work, we don't believe in tick-box training.

We believe in:

✅ Realism – We train in environments that replicate the conditions your team will face on site. ✅ Engagement – We make sure delegates understand why each action matters. ✅ Support – Before, during, and after the course — we’re here to help. ✅ Wind-specific focus – We don’t dilute GWO content. We build it around the needs of the wind sector.

We understand that training budgets and time constraints are real. But if you’re spending time and money anyway, why not invest it in something that truly protects your team?

Do It Once. Do It Right.

Wind technicians deserve more than the bare minimum. So do your HSE teams, your project managers, and your business.

If you’re serious about safety, it’s time to treat GWO training as more than a regulatory obligation — and start seeing it as a strategic investment in workforce resilience and operational excellence.

Want to experience GWO training that goes beyond the tick box? Speak to the Safer at Work team today. Let’s raise the standard together.