As time marches on, there have been increasing concerns about the safety of conducting manual infrastructure inspections. During the course of an inspection, inspectors as well as any other individuals in the surrounding area are exposed to multiple hazards. For example, when evaluating a roof, an inspector could trip and fall due to steep slopes and damaged shingles or supports. The resources used during infrastructure inspection processes (i.e. ladders, scaffolding, bucket lifts, etc.) alone could cause the inspectors to be severely harmed or fatally injured.
In addition, utilizing traditional inspection methods presents other challenges. In order to inspect pivotal infrastructure assets, inspectors often have to detour traffic, set up work zones, and use hazardous equipment. This can be costly for asset owners as well as nearby communities. To put things in perspective, a manual freeway bridge inspection takes eight hours to complete and can set asset owners back $4,600. Traditional inspections can interfere with regular day-to-day activity, which could make some local residents or neighboring business owners unhappy.
In addition to hazards, there are significant limitations with manual inspection methods. Infrastructure elements may not always be easily accessible which hinders the inspectors’ ability to capture asset data accurately and safely. Key features or defects could be missed entirely or not documented decently, which can and has been proven to be detrimental.
With so much at stake, many asset owners have begun seeking alternatives to traditional inspection methods. Inspectors have an essential role in keeping people safe — but the number of risks they face is concerning. How can we make inspections and infrastructure safer for everyone involved? Enter drones.
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