Drones are shaking up industries left, right, and centre, and the HAZMAT sector is no different. Identifying hazardous materials is dangerous work, but drone footage is helping professionals like our HAZMAT team members assess dangerous environments faster, safer, and more accurately than ever before.

Whether it’s through asbestos drone assessments, inspecting chemical spills, or surveying contaminated land, drone footage offers insights at a level of safety that many traditional methods just can’t match.

In this blog, we’re shining a spotlight on how expertly captured drone footage can enhance hazardous assessments. Read on to unpack the possibilities and find out if this is right for your site inspection.

How Drones Are Changing HAZMAT Inspections

Back in the day, hazardous material inspections meant sending people into risky areas with all sorts of protective gear. Not only was this time-consuming, but it also put people in harm’s way.

Now, with drones equipped with high-res cameras, thermal imaging, and other smart sensors, it’s possible to get some parts of the job done remotely, minimising the amount of time that surveyors have to spend around hazards.

As of right now, using drone footage for things like asbestos assessments is not a matter of replacement; it’s supplementary. This kind of footage can help teams plan their inspections and containment procedures well ahead of touching down on the actual site, and for acute or highly hazardous situations, drone footage is a vital tool for getting vital information on a developing situation from a distance.

That said, it’s unlikely that drones will entirely replace on-site surveying. It’s more likely that these techniques will continue to evolve, providing even more data for surveyors like ours to map a particular piece of land and plan their approach to minimise potential harm during an inspection or containment.

How Asbestos Drone Assessments Are Changing the Game

Asbestos is a big problem across Aotearoa, especially in older buildings. When the asbestos remains undisturbed, this doesn’t present an immediate hazard, but it can be hard to spot areas where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are damaged or in the process of degenerating if they’re above ground level.

Not to mention, getting to these spots can risk an assessor’s safety, both in terms of asbestos exposure and in terms of working at a height with a potential fall risk. This is where asbestos drone assessments come in. Using drones, inspectors can scan an entire property in crisp high-resolution, watching for spots that indicate a potential asbestos risk.

In some cases, drone assessments can entirely replace on-site inspections, while in other cases, they merely supplement them, making it easier for inspectors to know what to look for once they’ve donned their PPE.

There are many benefits to using drones in HAZMAT scenarios, including for asbestos inspections, so let’s dig a little bit deeper into the possibilities.

Drones Keep Inspectors Safe

One of the biggest perks of using drones? Safety. Instead of sending people into asbestos-laden buildings, chemical spills, or areas with radiation exposure, drones can capture all the necessary data from a safe distance.

Drones Provide Instant Data

Drones provide live-streamed footage, allowing inspectors to make on-the-spot decisions. This means no waiting around for results; inspectors can act immediately if something looks off.

This is generally more helpful for other HAZMAT applications, such as chemical spills, but the live feedback does make it easier for drone operators to inspect the entire property in detail for less acute hazards.

Drones Can Access Hard-to-Reach Places

Hazardous sites often include steep rooftops, unstable buildings, or tight spaces. A drone can easily fly over, under, or around obstacles, capturing real-time footage without putting anyone at risk.

Drones Can Save Time and Money

In some cases, asbestos drone assessments can reduce the amount of time and money required to complete an inspection or narrow in on good spots for asbestos sampling. Traditional assessments often require scaffolding, safety harnesses, and protective suits, not to mention a crew of workers. With drones, inspections can be quicker, easier, and more cost-effective.

Drones Enrich HAZMAT Reports

Drones allow HAZMAT inspectors to collect a lot of data that can be stored, analysed, and used for detailed management plans or future compliance reports. They’re also useful for long-term monitoring of these hazardous sites.

Other Places Drones Are Making a Difference

Chemical Spill Assessments

Drones with gas-detecting sensors can analyse air quality and locate hazardous substances from a safe distance, giving response teams a clear picture before they step in.

Radiation and Biohazard Monitoring

With specialised sensors, drones can detect radiation levels and biohazards without risking human exposure. This is crucial for mapping contamination zones after a nuclear incident or viral outbreak.

Oil and Gas Leak Detection

Thermal and infrared-equipped drones can spot oil spills, gas leaks, and pipeline damage in no time, helping reduce environmental harm and speed up response efforts.

With all of this taken into account, it’s clear why drones are proving to be one of the best tools in the HAZMAT industry. They’re helping inspectors conduct safer, faster, more accurate assessments for everything from asbestos to chemical spills. Across the board, drone footage is changing the game. So, the only question that remains is: who do you trust to get it done?

Utilise asbestos drone assessments to be sure your property is safe.

At Consultex Environmental, we’re proud to be bringing innovation to the HAZMAT sector by providing asbestos drone assessments to those who need it most.

Inspect your property and make a plan for any hazards from a safe distance by partnering with Consultex Environmental. Contact us to learn more about this revolutionary assessment option.