The Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) has issued this guidance, which covers the use of drone technology and data to support thorough examination/inspection of various types of plant and equipment.
For the purpose of this guidance, a drone is regarded as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
The document aims to guide the Competent Person in the application of drone technologies enabling the completion of the thorough examination/inspection.
Application of such technologies should be considered in circumstances where:
a safe means of access to critical parts and/or safety devices is not available, by suitable and satisfactory means, and/or
the detail obtained will enhance the findings of the thorough examination/inspection
the total operational impact is justified.
The guidance, which lists the relevant legislation in this area and sets out case studies to illustrate the use of drones in the UK and Ireland, is available here.
SAFed November 2021