Arco, the UK's leading safety company, is encouraging its customers to embrace technological advancements into their businesses by launching a range of drones that could be used to carry out otherwise hazardous tasks, safely and cost-effectively.
The use of drones within a commercial environment is increasing and is likely to significantly change the working practices of many businesses. According to a recent report, the use of drone technology could drive cost savings of £16bn each year with an estimated 628,000 people working in the future drone economy, including building and programming these new devices.1
There are a number of dangerous tasks where the benefits of using drones are already becoming apparent. For example:
- Building Inspections and Site Surveys -- Often building inspections require manual assessments and the construction of scaffolding. Using a drone can help identify problem areas in advance, allowing them to be evaluated and repaired more efficiently. What's more, drones are becoming more commonly used to inspect land and transport infrastructure, meaning they could eventually replace expensive helicopter use in surveying.
- Offshore Oil Rig Inspections - Using drones for offshore oil rig inspections is replacing traditional methods as safety is paramount. Drones allow the largest facilities to be inspected quickly, helping teams to identify any structural weaknesses, scan for hot spots, find gas leaks and more.
- Wind Turbine Inspections -- Current inspection methods can involve manual checks that require extensive health and safety briefs. Drone usage increases efficiency and reduces excessive downtime for wind turbines.
- Agriculture -- The agriculture industry has significantly benefitted from the use of drones, especially for thermal monitoring. For example, when inspecting rooftop solar panels of large solar farms, being able to clearly view temperature anomalies allows problem panels to be quickly isolated and fixed keeping energy production at optimum levels. Additionally, these new types of technology are also being utilised for remote crop spraying, with thermal image monitoring technology providing data on plant health and irrigation.
Drones are reducing the risk to employees and saving companies time and money.
In order to fly a drone commercially a pilot is required to complete drone training and then apply for a Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO), from the Commercial Aviation Authority (CAA). It is essential those flying the high-tech equipment understand the rules and regulations they must adhere to. To ensure drones have a positive impact in the workplace and are used safely and in accordance with the regulations, customers can purchase Arco's drone products with training to enable pilots to comply with safety standards.
The training courses are provided by an accredited training facility and are available to purchase with or without the drone.
For more information about Arco's new drone products and product training, please visit www.arco.co.uk/drones