LAUSR

Abstract The production, operation, and transportation stages of wind turbines involve elements of risk with regard to occupational health and safety. In a previous study, a risk prioritization covering the whole product lifecycle of a wind-turbine was carried out for wind-turbine companies. In that study, the product lifecycle stages were examined using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. The two most risky stages were determined to be transportation and production. This study focuses on the risks that are inherent to the production stage of the wind-turbine lifecycle. The aim of this study is to propose a new occupational risk-scoring methodology for production stages of wind turbines and as well as for all sectors and processes. Firstly, a strengths–weaknesses–opportunities–threats (SWOT) analysis is conducted to determine the risks to the company and whether they are compatible with the risks determined by an EU agency. The risk score is then obtained by taking the opinions of three experts regarding the risks identified by the SWOT analysis. For risk assessment, a hesitant fuzzy linguistic approach is applied to the operation of wind-turbine production firm in Ankara, Turkey. A number of suggestions are proposed for the items of highest risk in the study. The related precautions are then introduced and implemented at the wind-turbine firm. After the firm has applied the recommendations for a certain period of time (approximately six months), the risk score is re-evaluated. The study ends by conducting comparative analyses for both cases.