Exploratory Study on the Process and Checklist Items for Construction Safety Inspection Utilizing Drones

The focus of this research was to devise a conceptual methodology for drone usage and to assess the viability of safety checklist items specific to drone application in safety oversight. The appraisal was grounded in a focus group interview involving professionals from construction management and safety fields. The proposed process was segmented into four stages: 1) pre-flight phase for flight plan development, 2) drone flight phase for safety condition inspection utilizing checklist items, 3) post-flight phase for visual asset analysis, and 4) documentation and management phase. Furthermore, the research scrutinized the applicability of 32 distinct safety checklist items for drone operations. The primary aim of this investigation was to probe the possible deployment of drones as part of construction safety inspections at work sites. However, it bears mentioning that subsequent research should strive to gather a more extensive sample size through questionnaire surveys, thereby facilitating quantitative analysis. Administering such surveys would yield more comprehensive data compared to a focus group interview, which was constrained by a limited participant count. In summation, this study lays a foundational groundwork for understanding the potential advantages and challenges associated with integrating drones into construction safety management.