First Drone Training In The UK
The first training course in the industrial drone operators was launched in Aberdeen UK by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB). The approved Industrial Drone Operations Training Course was developed to ensure that the next generation of drone operators attain and develop the skills and knowledge they need to operate safely in heavy industrial environments that have specific operational hazards and constraints.
It is going to set the standard for industrial operations, not only in the oil and gas industry but in other sectors including petrochemicals, nuclear, renewable, rail infrastructure, pharmaceutical and food.
The new course is scheduled to take place by September 30th to October 4th. Following the launch last year of ECITB’s Industrial Drone Operations Training and Assessment Program, was a first in the UK.
For the past decade we have seen an increase in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in the industrial environment and, as more and more industry sectors see the advantage of reducing risk, timesaving and reduction of cost in areas such as infrastructure inspection, their use has quadrupled in the last two years.
The training will be delivered by Aberdeen-based Texo Compliance, is available to anyone who has passed the CAA permission for commercial operations (PfCO) scheme and can meet the course pre-requisites. It has four stages including off-the-job training at an ECITB-approved center; this is consolidated through drone operations on a live industrial site with 30 logged flying hours required within three to 12 months of initial training.
The third stage of the training comprises formal technical testing at an approved ECITB center using the ECITB technical testing platform. hile the final stage is renewal of the ECITB technical test certificate at 36 months through formal re-assessment. If the candidate can demonstrate sufficient experience, they can go straight to the formal technical assessment without the need for initial stage one off the job training.
Texo Compliance Operations Director Jamie Murphy said the firm was delighted to be the first approved ECITB training provider in the UK for the delivery of the Industrial Drones Operations Training Course.
“We believe that we are at the forefront of innovation and technology-driven training in what is a complex and technically demanding industry often operating in difficult and austere environments,” he said.
“Working in the UK and internationally with UAV operations, we see drones mitigating risks from work that would traditionally be done by a variety of personnel particularly at height and this now removes the human element from operations that were deemed high risk high potential.
“Gaining this ECITB award first in the UK underpins our commitment to be a technology-led and driven organization.”