Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Robotics in Hazardous Locations Safely

Confined space entries and elevated work are two of the most hazardous practices in the chemical industry. According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor, over 90 fatalities per year occur during confined space entries and over 80 fatalities are attributed to falls. As part of its breakthrough Manufacturing 4.0 initiative, The Dow Chemical Company has been employing devices such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS or “drones”) and robotics to eliminate the need for employees to enter confined spaces or conduct elevated work. UAS and robots have been equipped with cameras to inspect confined spaces and other hazardous locations without the need for human entry. Since piloting these robotic tools in 2016, the need for over 400 confined space entries have been eliminated at Dow. UAS are also being used to inspect towers and pipelines – eliminating the need for elevated work, and miniature submarines are used to conduct underwater inspections. The role of robotics in safety is continuing to expand beyond gathering visual data; robots are now equipped with sophisticated tools for gathering samples and non-destructive data, enhancing the ability to monitor environmental performance and ensure mechanical integrity.

The benefits of UAS and robotics in reducing human risk, enhanced 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. UAS 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 UAS. During internal equipment inspections, UAS and robots can be made of incompatible materials of construction that could contaminate the equipment being inspected, potentially causing chemical reactions or equipment damage leading to loss of integrity. During internal inspections, UAS and robots could also become disabled inside equipment, requiring emergency extrication plans. Another key consideration is hazardous area classification. UAS and robotics are energized devices that could potentially present ignition sources, and consideration of the hazardous area classification of the working area – as well as the certification of the equipment for the specific application - are vital when employing these technologies where hot work permitting practices are not appropriate.

Manufacturing 4.0 provides a compelling vision of a safer production operation, and the use of UAS and robotics 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 and provide tools that can be leveraged at the site level to facilitate hazard identification and the development of safe work plans for specific applications. This paper discusses potential hazards that should be considered when evaluating the suitability of a UAS or robot for a particular application and provides guidance on leveraging hazard recognition tools and training to the site level.