Industrial drone training course backed by engineering body

Developed by ECITB in conjunction with employers and drone experts, the Industrial Drone Operations Training Standard will train operators to undertake drone activities safely across around industrial sites. As these sites often have specific operational hazards and constraints, specialist knowledge beyond the standard Civil Aviation Authority courses is required. Training will consist of a theory phase followed by practical flight training on rotary and fixed-wing drones of up to 20kgs.

“Drones are becoming increasingly common across engineering construction sites from monitoring and surveying sites to checking wear and tear on installations, such as offshore platforms and wind turbines,” said Chris Claydon, chief executive of the ECITB. “They reduce the need for people to carry out hazardous inspections and make these essential processes quicker and cheaper.

“There’s no doubt we are on the cusp of a major shift in work practices with clear practical and financial benefits that means the use of drones will become the norm across the engineering construction industry. This is a trend the ECITB has identified, and why we’ve delivered this rigorous new technical training standard that is recognised and valued by employers.”