DNV, along with five industry partners, is developing a specific safety standard that will include structural and functional design; fire and explosion protection; access, transfer and escape, and emergency power.
Other safety recommendations include internal communication and communication with shore, rescue and recovery, as well as standby vessel.
The standard is expected to be published in October, 2009.
The project participants currently include StatoilHydro, Vattenfall, Dong Energy, E.ON and Energinet.
A number of other companies have also expressed an interest in getting involved and the project is still open to participants.
The technical review group currently consists of the UK Health & Safety Executive and the Danish Energy Authority.
DNV will also provide recommendations to the Norwegian, German, Swedish and Dutch authorities.
The existing offshore standards for safety equipment, provisions, lay-out and safety requirements relating to design are currently based on offshore oil&gas installations.
But given that windfarms do not produce hydrocarbons, the associated risks are different. The rules for oil&gas installations may therefore not apply to, or be cost-effective for, an offshore windfarm.
At present, turbines and transformer platforms are only manned during maintenance and inspection activities.
However, some new developments propose having permanently manned accommodation platforms.