Hazardous areas
With drones starting to play a revolutionary role within inspection and hazardous areas, as part of a new blended approach, there remains scepticism and misunderstanding of their capabilities anddeployment. Here, Kyle Veitch, technical, quality & risk director for North West Europe at Bureau Veritas, explains how the strategic adoption and correct utilisation of drones can elevate the inspections process and lead to a safer, faster and better blended approach
an estimated £8.6bn GPD uplift in the UK alone by 2030. There is also the efficiency factor, with an estimation that site surveys can be up to 400 times quicker using drones, compared to traditional, labour-intensive surveying. When it comes to inspection, drones offer a
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number of invaluable capabilities and benefits when used in partnership with traditional methods of assessment and supervision. There are two distinct advantages of using drones in inspection; as an access solution and for building condition assessment. As an access solution, using drones can be an
efficient and effective method of conducting an initial visual assessment of large or difficult to access equipment or locations, at minimal risk and without disrupting production on-site. Deployed as an extension of the engineering inspector’s eyes and using a technically competent operator on the ground, drones can add value by efficiently identifying particular defects or areas of concern that require further assessment by an inspector. Deploying this blended approach to inspection
is particularly valuable as a response to the increasingly crowded environments engineering inspectors are finding on-site. As new systems and equipment are regularly introduced, inspectors are having to navigate more complex spaces, which
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he use of drones is estimated to have a significant impact on the construction and manufacturing industries as a whole, with
can prove challenging. Arranging access may require closing off a section of a facility or shutting down completely for a period of time, which can lead to costly downtime – as well as being inconvenient and taking longer. In this instance, using a drone for an initial assessment may reduce the need for equipment such as Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) and scaffolding on-site and allow the engineering inspector visual access quickly and easily. Drones are also now capable of close-up
surveillance of even the tallest and most inaccessible structures as well as of confined internal spaces including as larges tanks, warehouses, roof spaces, boilers and cellars, where they can be used to pick up on minute yet highly important details including corrosion and cracking. The latest advances in collision-resistant and collision-tolerable UAVs also enable them to ‘bounce’ off surfaces and roll along walls without getting damaged or damaging the structure, meaning they can cope with the challenges of demanding and hazardous environments. Saving valuable resources, drone use also
enables condition assessment of an entire site at a fraction of the time, even in challenging weather conditions. The end product is a total inspection solution that delivers a complete overview of a building’s infrastructure whilst meeting all relevant regulatory requirements. In terms of building condition assessment, drone
March 2019 Instrumentation Monthly
The sky’s the limit
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