Use of drones is growing rapidly across industry, due to benefits that include improved safety and efficiency for workers as well as cost savings and a reduction in asset downtime for inspections.
Following the success of a pilot programme in 2022, the ECITB has now launched its Foundation UAS training course, created in collaboration with the UK Drone Association, ARPAS-UK. It is now open for training providers across the country to deliver.
Worker exposure to work-at-height risks and other hazardous environments, such as the inside of storage tanks, can be significantly reduced using drones, with many applications in the oil and gas, nuclear and renewables sectors.
They can also benefit the rail industry and general construction sites to map, track and survey major projects.
Global services firm PwC estimates there could be £3.5bn predicted cost savings from drone uptake in construction and manufacturing alone (£22bn across all industries), as well as potential to reduce carbon emissions. However, it highlights skills as an area that must be addressed to ‘unlock drone potential’.
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“There is real demand across industry for operators who can not only pilot drones but who possess the specific and essential knowledge and skills to carry out drone operations effectively in industrial settings,” said Andy Brown, interim CEO at the ECITB.
“Through the effective collaboration with employers, training providers and learners, we have developed this quality assured training to provide a consistent quality standard for all industrial drone operators. It will directly tackle the skills gap, support employers to train and upskill their workforce and meet that identified need across industry.”
The pilot programme was delivered with Global Drone Training at Neath Port Talbot College in September 2022, attended by delegates from Sellafield and Network Rail.
Amanda Smith, Sellafield UAV equipment programme lead, said that the work is very relevant to the work that Sellafield are doing using UAVs, adding that it provides UAV pilots with industry experience that is ‘vital’ when working on a highly regulated nuclear site.
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