The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) drone standards working group also visited the Sellafield site to see the working environment first-hand.
The ECITB works with employers and training providers to give the engineering construction industry workforce the skills it needs to meet the challenges of the future.
Amanda Smith, UAV equipment programme lead at Remote Technologies Group, which includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and robotics, said: “It’s great to see experts in the field coming to visit us to learn how we have developed the use of UAVs at Sellafield.
“It’s also pleasing for all the team here to be recognised in this way, and to know that their knowledge, expertise and learning is helping to shape training standards in a diverse range of industries across the whole country.”
Smith and her team of equipment engineers and remote pilots flew more than 200 asset inspection flights in 2021. Most of the flights were at Sellafield, but her team has also carried out flights at other Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites at Bradwell, Essex, and Sizewell in Suffolk. Sellafield’s ROV team have also carried out work at Dounreay in Caithness, Scotland.
During the visit Reg Rudd and Helen Craig, both ECITB product development managers, and Kevin Westwood, managing director of Kevin D Westwood Associates, subject matter expert and consultant from Teesside, brought their perspective of working with industries all over the world.
Rudd said: “Oil and gas was one of the first industries to take advantage of ROVs by using subsea equipment. Other industries have now started to catch up.
“It’s been brilliant to see what Amanda and the team are achieving here in a nuclear industry environment at Sellafield.
“The experience here is transferable to other industries and helps us develop training standards for certification across all sectors for people who fly drones, or who manage the operation of drones. A visit like this enables us to perform the role of the intelligent client.”
Westwood said: “Operating drones helps reduce risk when carrying out tasks in a range of environments from nuclear sites to windfarms. It can be critical to spotting defects as part of asset integrity management programmes, mapping to assist in accurate GIS and digital twin development, or providing situational awareness to assist in emergency response operations.
“Adopting the use of drones helps give businesses the edge. They allow industry to achieve operations safer, quicker and smarter.”