29 Workplace safety is more than “just” about achieving goals and targets. It’s a tangible demonstration of Prysmian Group’s commitment to the communities where it does business. This was especially important at Fécamp, where the Group is a newcomer to the area. The 500 MW Fécamp offshore wind farm is made up of 71 turbines installed between 13 and 22 kilometres off the Normandy coast. Offshore construction on the project is scheduled to start in 2022 and the wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2023. The Fécamp windfarm is being developed by Eolien Maritime France (a joint venture between the French company EDF Energies Nouvelles and the Canadian company Enbridge). Fécamp is one of three windfarm projects being carried out by Prysmian in France, along with Saint Nazaire and Courseullessur-Mer. Every work site has its own challenges. The formidable, sweeping Normandy cliffs near Fécamp were the site of the Allied landings duringWorldWar II, and they draw hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. For Project Director Giovanni Ghirardelli and his team, these white cliffs represented an obstacle much as they did during World War II. Because of the cliffs, there were not a lot of suitable approaches to make landfall at the site. The only choice was to install the cable by entering Fécamp’s ancient port. This resulted in considerable safety risks from both the aging infrastructure at the port, and the heavy boat traffic in and out. Clearly, special precautions needed to be made. Along with health and safety, Carlo Riverso’s challenge was to protect the marine environment of Fécamp, which has been an important fishing center since the 11th century. Fércamp’s fishermen used to travel as far as Canada to net their catch of cod, and the city was France’s main center for salt cod (a popular protein in the days before refrigeration) throughout the 19th century. The Group protected Fécamp’s flora and fauna from damage by installing an environmental monitoring system, he said. Lastly, cable landfall was adjacent to Fécamp’s beautiful pebbly beach, which has been painted by Monet (a frequent guest at the nearby town of Honfleur). Riverso took special steps to reduce water murkiness in order not to disturb swimming during the holiday season. Risk evaluation workshops with staff and close field supervision was another key to achieving 20 months without an injury, said Riverso. As Prysmian Group moves forward towards its “zero injury” goal in 2030, their experience will certainly be a “lesson learned.” INSIGHT | Tracking the Future "The key to safety in such a busy environment was close coordination with port authorities and the coast guard. There was an alternating phase of being able to work or not. This was closely coordinated on a daily basis with the coast guard, and the Port Authority. We became a team – us, the client, the authorities and our supplier. We had to coordinate our schedules well ahead of time.” Carlo Riverso HSE manager PRYSMIAN GROUP EDITORIAL STAFF
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