Using unmanned aerial vehicles and robotics in hazardous locations safely

Abstract

Confined space entries and elevated work are two of the most hazardous practices in the chemical industry. As part of its breakthrough Manufacturing 4.0 initiative, The Dow Chemical Company has been employing devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) and robots to eliminate the need for employees to enter confined spaces or conduct elevated work, while allowing effective, remote inspections. Since piloting the use of UAVs and robots in 2016 at Dow, over 1000 confined space entries have been avoided. UAVs are being used to inspect distillation columns, flares, transmission towers, and pipelines—avoiding the need for over 2200 elevated work inspections by humans. Robotic miniature submarines are also being used to allow remote sensing for underwater inspections. The role of UAVs and robots in safety is continuing to expand beyond gathering visual data; robots are now equipped with sophisticated tools for gathering samples and nondestructive data, enhancing the ability to monitor environmental performance and ensure mechanical integrity. They are also being used to perform functions such as dismantling and removing internal equipment, cutting/sawing, hydroblasting, vacuuming sludge, and performing vessel wall/pipe thickness, ultraviolet, gauss (magnetic), and infrared scans. The benefits of UAVs and robots in reducing human risk, enhancing data collection, and improving productivity are quite clear; however, the hazards of these technologies need to be carefully evaluated to ensure that the devices can be used safely in specific applications. UAVs can present collision hazards, and a poorly chosen flight path could result in human injury, significant damage to process equipment, or the loss of the UAV. During internal equipment inspections, UAVs and robots can be made of incompatible materials of construction that could contaminate or damage the equipment being inspected or the UAV or robot itself. Also, during internal inspections, UAVs and robots can become disabled or lose power inside of the equipment, requiring emergency extrication. Another key consideration is hazardous area classification (HAC). UAVs and robots are energized devices that could potentially present ignition sources to flammable materials and combustible dusts, so consideration of the HAC of the work area (internal and external to the equipment)—as well as the certification of the robotic equipment for the specific application—is vital when employing these technologies. Manufacturing 4.0 provides a compelling vision of safer production operations. The use of UAVs and robots can significantly reduce human exposure to process and personal hazards. However, to capitalize on this potential, it is critical that organizations employing these technologies perform thorough hazard analyses, supply adequate guidance, and provide tools that can be leveraged at the site level to facilitate the development of safe work plans for specific applications. This article discusses potential hazards that should be considered when evaluati...

Monitoring of Selected CBRN Threats in the Air in Industrial Areas with the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

“…This allows for accurate measurements of the concentration of pollutants in the air in large areas, including hazardous or hard-to-reach areas. These measurements are useful not only in monitoring the environment but also in the case of the need to assess chemical contamination in industrial areas emitted by production plants in standard operations and during breakdowns [50][51][52].…”

“…In addition, remote devices may be out of the pilot's line of sight and internal obstacles may present a difficult flight path. In such a situation, an action plan should be defined before starting operations in the event of a shutdown of the UAV inside the facility [52].…”

Drone-Assisted Confined Space Inspection and Stockpile Volume Estimation

“…This latter point is a matter of critical importance as stockpile volume measurements are inputs to working capital estimations. A recent example of UAV conducting missions within confined spaces was demonstrated by Kas and Johnson [11] from Dow Chemical Company in the USA between 2016 and 2018. Their work illustrated that millions of dollars could be saved through reductions in inspection/maintenance labour, material/contracted services (especially scaffolding), as well as productivity enhancements due to reduced downtime.…”

“…Their work illustrated that millions of dollars could be saved through reductions in inspection/maintenance labour, material/contracted services (especially scaffolding), as well as productivity enhancements due to reduced downtime. As a direct consequence, over 1000 confined space entries were eliminated, thereby improving workplace safety [11]. This paper will explore the feasibility of implementing drone-assisted stockpile estimation and confined space monitoring based on a combination of theoretically simulated examples and assessment of real-life data from a prominent UK-based cement plant.…”

The Dark Side of the Drones: A Review of Emerging Safety Implications in Construction

“…To understand the inclusiveness of this technology integration in construction, this review takes a step forward in exploring the versatile applications along with the never-seen-before safety risks introduced by the UAVs. The UAVs can carry out remote surveillance by more easily accessing hazardous locations, tracking resources, and inspecting safety issues eliminating the need for employees to operate in unsafe conditions (Kas & Johnson, 2020). Remote sensing and photogrammetry software features are enabling UAVs to collect data through realtime transmission and processing for construction building information and surveying applications (Wang et al, 2016).…”