Common hazards for pre-site risk assessment

[Ruehilton]

Hi,

I'm writing a risk assessment template for my PFCO flight test and thought I'd reach out to pull together a comprehensive list of common hazards that can be assessed prior to getting to site. Obviously this would be followed by an on-site survey and risk assessment of anything that hadn't been picked up or had changed..

I'll start:

- Airspace
- Proximities (airports, aerodromes etc)
- Terrain (flat, boggy etc)
- Live firing ranges
- Low flight zones
- Gas venting
- Royal estates
- Nuclear power stations
- Schools
- Prisons
- Recreational areas
- Power cables
- Buildings
- Masts
- Trees
- Hostile birds..........

 

[old man mavic]

Hi,

I'm writing a risk assessment template for my PFCO flight test and thought I'd reach out to pull together a comprehensive list of common hazards that can be assessed prior to getting to site. Obviously this would be followed by an on-site survey and risk assessment of anything that hadn't been picked up or had changed..

I'll start:

- Airspace
- Proximities (airports, aerodromes etc)
- Terrain (flat, boggy etc)
- Live firing ranges
- Low flight zones
- Gas venting
- Royal estates
- Nuclear power stations
- Schools
- Prisons
- Recreational areas
- Power cables
- Buildings
- Masts
- Trees
- Hostile birds..........

railway lines and busy highways

 

[Olav van Gerven]

Public

Is there a chance/risk of attracting attention of a lot of people that might (try to) interfere with you controlling the drone?

It is clear, you don't fly over a crowd, but what is the chance of a crowd starting to build .

 

[waylander]

Public

Is there a chance/risk of attracting attention of a lot of people that might (try to) interfere with you controlling the drone?

It is clear, you don't fly over a crowd, but what is the chance of a crowd starting to build .

Uhm when you say a crowd do you mean a few people or the number of people that would constitute a crowd from the point of view relating to current legislation ( in the Uk it,s 1000 people).
Waylander

 

[Gobuchul]

Hi,

I'm writing a risk assessment template for my PFCO flight test and thought I'd reach out to pull together a comprehensive list of common hazards that can be assessed prior to getting to site. Obviously this would be followed by an on-site survey and risk assessment of anything that hadn't been picked up or had changed..

I'll start:

- Airspace
- Proximities (airports, aerodromes etc)
- Terrain (flat, boggy etc)
- Live firing ranges
- Low flight zones
- Gas venting
- Royal estates
- Nuclear power stations
- Schools
- Prisons
- Recreational areas
- Power cables
- Buildings
- Masts
- Trees
- Hostile birds..........

A lot of these are not "hazards" as such.

The definition of a hazard is "A hazard is any agent that can cause harm or damage to humans, property, or the environment."
Risk is defined as the probability that exposure to a hazard will lead to a negative consequence, or more simply, a hazard poses no risk if there is no exposure to that hazard."

Schools, prisons, nuclear power stations etc are restricted areas.

 

[Deleted member 94047]

Hi,

I'm writing a risk assessment template for my PFCO flight test and thought I'd reach out to pull together a comprehensive list of common hazards that can be assessed prior to getting to site. Obviously this would be followed by an on-site survey and risk assessment of anything that hadn't been picked up or had changed..

I'll start:

- Airspace
- Proximities (airports, aerodromes etc)
- Terrain (flat, boggy etc)
- Live firing ranges
- Low flight zones
- Gas venting
- Royal estates
- Nuclear power stations
- Schools
- Prisons
- Recreational areas
- Power cables
- Buildings
- Masts
- Trees
- Hostile birds..........

That is a very comprehensive list, I would however add emergency landing to the list - as in "is the area safe for an emergency landing?". I think this is an important element of risk assessment and planning; you never know what can happen mid flight.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Weather - wind, rain, lightning.
Equipment, all devices / batteries level of charge adequate.

 

[The Editor]

I can see this thread has the potential to become a huge list of meaningless and pointless ‘suggestions’.

From a PfCO point of view this is totally unnecessary and should have been covered in your groundschool training.

An on site survey should only take a few minutes and needs never be more than a single side of A4 including any quick sketches (usually far less).

A risk assessment does not need a template - you will for ever be adding things to an ever growing list (like this thread).

There are things in this thread which should never make it onto any risk assessment or site survey but would be covered in a pre flight check.

Basically, you should have been given details of your ‘mission’ from your NQE which will constitute your flight test.
From that you will have been given Long/Lat which you can use to start to build a pre site visit survey using Google Earth. Print out the relevant area and mark anything which you think constitutes an area of risk. A building isn’t a risk - it is simply an object which you would be observing permitted stand off distances from as part of your permissions from the CAA.

Once on site, a survey will alert you far easier and accurately than a shopping list style template.

Depending on where your mission will take place, consider a cordon to keep members of the public away from the take off/landing area and signage to alert people that a UAV is in the area.

If there is one piece of advice I can give it is stay calm, know your boldface/emergency procedures off by heart and verbalize everything.
Flight instructors love verbal confirmations.

For example, if you are told to fly to 400ft and hover. Don’t just do it - Say out loud “Increasing throttle, commencing climb to 400ft..........100ft......200ft......300ft.......approaching 400ft......Reached 400ft agl and maintaining hover”

They will love you for it.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

Uhm when you say a crowd do you mean a few people or the number of people that would constitute a crowd from the point of view relating to current legislation ( in the Uk it,s 1000 people).
Waylander

I mean a group, bigger then just one or two, that might draw your attention by asking questions or commenting on what you do. Even if you don't react, this might (will) distract you. The quick look to the people and you might have a problem finding your drone again in the air, or you might get irritated.

Normally, when I fly the drone, I have my wife with me. As long as the drone is in the air, she replies to questions, refer to me and tell them "that I will answer and show as soon as the drone is back safe". Most of the time, only one or two people stop to ask questions (if at all) and they understand and appreciate the fact that I do take the time, but that I also do wait until the drone is back safe. When I look for a place to fly, I have this in mind too.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

Don’t you mean Angry Birds?

 

[waylander]

I mean a group, bigger then just one or two, that might draw your attention by asking questions or commenting on what you do. Even if you don't react, this might (will) distract you. The quick look to the people and you might have a problem finding your drone again in the air, or you might get irritated.

Normally, when I fly the drone, I have my wife with me. As long as the drone is in the air, she replies to questions, refer to me and tell them "that I will answer and show as soon as the drone is back safe". Most of the time, only one or two people stop to ask questions (if at all) and they understand and appreciate the fact that I do take the time, but that I also do wait until the drone is back safe. When I look for a place to fly, I have this in mind too.

Well yes I suppose it could happen, you could make up a sign "Do Not Disturb pilot whilst flying Drone" or print "Do Not Disturb" on the back of your High-Vis vest, but as you suggest, ask them not to trouble you until you have landed, most reasonable people will co-operate with that, and if they still insist on disturbing you then you have a problem.
Only happened to me once in 4 years of flying
Stay Safe
Waylander

 

[Thomas B]

Here are a couple of options from our own @Aerial-Pixel

SHIRTS

www.aerial-pixel.com

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I can see this thread has the potential to become a huge list of meaningless and pointless ‘suggestions’.

I think they are going to keep coming, but that's not a bad thing.
It could help compile a couple of lists.

As you say a SITE assessment doesn't need pre flight check tick boxes, that can be on a list that's done at home before heading out.
Site assessment / risk assessment should be simple and site focussed.

Perhaps a tick list of 5 or 6 vital points related to the actual place to be flown, and a line or two for notes below these . . . obstacles, weather, people, flight specific plan, and have lower half of the page blank for 'mudmap' of site with approx flight route and any extra notes.

As long as it shows some thought has gone into the flight, what is controllable to the PIC, that you are aware of and mitigate risks.

The OP can take what he wants from the thread I guess, and leave what's not really needed for the site risk assessment needs.

The PFCO test will likely be very different to what jobs will normally be like, so the OP will just need to work with what he's given and the task requirements.
Does the PFCO course papers give example of site risk assessments ?
Most SRA's for any sort of commercial / industrial work would have similar layouts, easy to delete non relevant things, or adapt them for drone flights.

 

[Ruehilton]

Hi, thanks for all the input.

We have been asked to undertake a site form which looks at airspace etc. but then also do a pre-site risk assessment which mitigates perceived and common risks. We then go over this and add/omit as necessary on-site before the flight. I do feel I'm double handling a bit, but hey, I'm just following instruction and at this point in my career I don't think it's a bad exercise.

It's literally been howling a gale here for what seems like weeks, so I haven't had the chance to practice my moves. I'm seriously thinking about investing in the DJI Simulator.

 

[Mick Armitage]

Hi,

I'm writing a risk assessment template for my PFCO flight test and thought I'd reach out to pull together a comprehensive list of common hazards that can be assessed prior to getting to site. Obviously this would be followed by an on-site survey and risk assessment of anything that hadn't been picked up or had changed..

I'll start:

- Airspace
- Proximities (airports, aerodromes etc)
- Terrain (flat, boggy etc)
- Live firing ranges
- Low flight zones
- Gas venting
- Royal estates
- Nuclear power stations
- Schools
- Prisons
- Recreational areas
- Power cables
- Buildings
- Masts
- Trees
- Hostile birds..........

Hello
Have you got a Word format that you are willing to share?