G+ Welfare workstream: Phase 1 transitions to Phase 2
2026 marks the start of Phase 2 of the Welfare workstream.
The G+ and wider industry have an ambition to improve welfare provisions for workers visiting offshore assets, however, providing welfare facilities on the assets themselves can present significant challenges .
The quality and availability of welfare solutions targeted at the wind industry has increased. G+ members have been exploring these newer options; trialling new welfare units in projects under construction or at operational sites. In doing so, the industry has also tried to understand the operational, logistical, health, safety and environmental implications of deploying these. For example, waste removal and disposal need to be considered, long term storage of water and heating water can introduce hazards of their own and require maintenance, and taking temporary welfare cubicles onto assets increases lifting operations. It is important that in seeking to provide workers with upgraded welfare, hazards are not introduced into the workplace that increase risk disproportionately.
For projects further down the development pipeline, G+ members are working with suppliers on the design of foundations, transitions pieces and external working platforms to explore how welfare facilities could be accommodated at these locations.
Phase 1 of the G+ welfare workstream investigated the current facilities for the entire lifecycle of offshore wind. The study focussed on sanitation, washing, rest and mess provisions, seeking to understand their location, accessibility and suitability. A survey of G+ members and the wider industry found inconsistencies regarding facilities available, noting that 50% of users do not feel adequately supported by welfare on their projects.
Respondents described facilities as "Unsanitary and undignified," finding some cases of "women not drinking so they don't have to go, leading to dehydration."
The study suggested that current provisions were potentially detrimental to growing a diverse and inclusive workforce and introduced additional risks to the workplace. The survey also suggested that those able to influence the provision of welfare facilities lacked clarity and guidance.
Phase 1 of the G+ workstream is now concluding, reporting on the survey findings and including an overview of relevant international guidance and regulation. This is accompanied by an Excel-based tool to guide the industry in understanding the options available for their specific projects.
For Phase 2, the findings from Phase 1 will be combined with input from G+ Members and wider industry, to produce a globally applicable, good practice guidance (GPG).
Expected to be published in early 2027, the GPG aims to support companies to implement adequate welfare facilities, across their entire project portfolio, throughout the lifecycle. It will factor in new projects as well as potential retrofits for installed assets, discussing the pros and cons of provisions. This includes acknowledgement of the operational and maintenance impacts of the provisions, the associated health and safety risks, and an indicative cost-benefit analysis.
Keen to contribute your expertise to this project? Contact Olivia at [email protected].
By Olivia Burton, Senior Technical Officer, G+
