SY031-0016
Planning For Field Safety In UAS Operations

Thursday, 10 December 2020
Poster
Adam Collins1, Christian G Andresen2, Emily S Schultz-Fellenz3, Erika Swanson3 and Cathy Jean Wilson4, (1)Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States, (2)University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, United States, (3)Los Alamos National Laboratory, EES-14, Los Alamos, NM, United States, (4)Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth and Environmental Science Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States
Abstract:
Heavy-lift Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) are readily available and offer unique research opportunities. However, incorporating the use of UAS into fieldwork changes the safety envelope due to additional hazards. We adopted heavy-lift UAS into our work by creating a safety plan specific to UAS-based fieldwork, and integrated that into our standard fieldwork safety plan for a given field location and set of research goals. Beginning with UAS field safety as the fundamental starting point for work increased our research success, and also allowed us to enable open communication, team empowerment and inclusivity in our multi-national, multi-gender and cross-disciplinary UAS team. In this talk, we will discuss our experiences in planning and realizing a strong UAS team by blending safety protocols and culture from aviation, our institution, and individual team member background.
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