Confined space entries and elevated work are two of the most hazardous practices in the chemical industry. As part of its breakthrough Manufacturing 4.0 initiative, The Dow Chemical Company has been employing devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) and robots to eliminate the need for employees to enter confined spaces or conduct elevated work, while allowing effective, remote inspections. Since piloting the use of UAVs and robots in 2016 at Dow, over 1000 confined space entries have been avoided. UAVs are being used to inspect distillation columns, flares, transmission towers, and pipelines—avoiding the need for over 2200 elevated work inspections by humans. Robotic miniature submarines are also being used to allow remote sensing for underwater inspections. The role of UAVs and robots in safety is continuing to expand beyond gathering visual data; robots are now equipped with sophisticated tools for gathering samples and nondestructive data, enhancing the ability to monitor environmental performance and ensure mechanical integrity. They are also being used to perform functions such as dismantling and removing internal equipment, cutting/sawing, hydroblasting, vacuuming sludge, and performing vessel wall/pipe thickness, ultraviolet, gauss (magnetic), and infrared scans. The benefits of UAVs and robots in reducing human risk, enhancing data collection, and improving productivity are quite clear; however, the hazards of these technologies need to be carefully evaluated to ensure that the devices can be used safely in specific applications. UAVs can present collision hazards, and a poorly chosen flight path could result in human injury, significant damage to process equipment, or the loss of the UAV. During internal equipment inspections, UAVs and robots can be made of incompatible materials of construction that could contaminate or damage the equipment being inspected or the UAV or robot itself. Also, during internal inspections, UAVs and robots can become disabled or lose power inside of the equipment, requiring emergency extrication. Another key consideration is hazardous area classification (HAC). UAVs and robots are energized devices that could potentially present ignition sources to flammable materials and combustible dusts, so consideration of the HAC of the work area (internal and external to the equipment)—as well as the certification of the robotic equipment for the specific application—is vital when employing these technologies. Manufacturing 4.0 provides a compelling vision of safer production operations. The use of UAVs and robots can significantly reduce human exposure to process and personal hazards. However, to capitalize on this potential, it is critical that organizations employing these technologies perform thorough hazard analyses, supply adequate guidance, and provide tools that can be leveraged at the site level to facilitate the development of safe work plans for specific applications. This article discusses potential hazards that should be considered when evaluati...

Vision 20/20 was developed by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) in 2013 as a forward‐looking initiative describing the characteristics of organizations with exceptional process safety performance. The CCPS Vision 20/20 incorporated five basic tenets: Committed Culture, Vibrant Management Systems, Disciplined Adherence to Standards, Intentional Competency Development, and Enhanced Applications of Lessons Learned. These tenets represent foundational elements that are essential for excellence in process safety and have been the basis for improved process safety performance in many companies, including Dow. As we end the year 2020, it is time to reflect on Vision 20/20 and the future of process safety over the next decade. Certainly, the five tenets of Vision 20/20 remain critical for sustained process safety performance. However, now is an appropriate time to consider how developing technology can drive new advances in process safety over the next decade. At Dow, the utilization of digital technologies is helping to take Vision 20/20 to new heights by providing tools, insights, and applications that improve process and personal safety as well as drive value delivery. Through the application of analytics, robotics, mobile tools, and overall data connectivity, Dow is driving improvements in inspections, reductions in confined space entries, greater unplanned event prevention, and improved reliability. The application of these emerging and applied digital tools sets the standard for beyond Vision 20/20 performance in operational safety and reliability.