In addition to cutting costs, enhancing safety is one of the most significant advantages of using indoor drones for internal inspections. The reasoning behind this is straightforward. By deploying an indoor drone to gather visual data, inspectors no longer have to personally step into potentially hazardous areas.
This shift means drones can effectively replace human inspectors, minimizing the need for them to enter risky environments like boilers, pressure vessels, or chimneys. It wasn't always this way. When commercial drones first came into use, the technology wasn't always dependable and was often seen more as a supplementary tool rather than a full replacement.
However, over the past few years, drone technology has advanced dramatically. Now, with a drone like Flyability's Elios 2, inspectors can almost entirely eliminate the need to physically enter an asset to collect visual data.
For related reading, check out: "Elios 2 Tested 15 Times by Ronik Inspectioneering, Approved as a Formal Inspection Tool."
Since indoor drones can now take over the role of inspectors, they enable project managers to implement the top tier of the hierarchy of control for managing safety hazards in the workplace—the elimination of the hazard itself.
So, what hazards do drones help reduce, or even eliminate? Here are the three main ones, each highlighting how indoor drones can enhance safety during internal inspections.
Firstly, reducing the need for confined space entry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2011 and 2018, 1,030 people died in the U.S. from occupational injuries involving confined spaces.
Secondly, reducing the need for rope access. While rope access isn't as dangerous as confined space entry, it still poses risks to inspectors. From 2017 to 2019, four fatalities were recorded among those performing rope access in industrial settings, with 73 injuries reported.
Lastly, reducing the need for work with scaffolding. Working on scaffolding can be risky, leading to various accidents. In the U.S., annually around 4,500 people are injured and 60 killed due to scaffold-related incidents.
Companies are beginning to realize the importance of using drones and other robotic solutions to keep people out of dangerous situations. For example, Dow has embraced the concept of "Make technology do the dangerous work," committing to eliminating fatalities in the workplace by 2025 and reducing severe workplace injuries and illnesses by 85% by 2025.
If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of drone inspections, consider watching the webinar: "The Benefits of Drone Inspections—How Inspectors Are Using Drones to Improve Safety and Save Millions."
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