Title: Drone Use Applications in the Safety Profession
Overview: The purpose of this presentation is to discuss integrating the use of drones as part of a safety program, the benefits and requirements of drone use, and some drone use applications and scenarios to illustrate how this technology system might be relevant in various safety contexts.
John Benhart, Jr. is a professor in geospatial sciences and director of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and Geospatial Intelligence programs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Benhart received his bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Pittsburgh, his master’s degree in geography from the University of Miami (FL), and his doctorate in geography from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Benhart is a certified geographic information systems professional (GIS Certification Institute) and a Federal Aviation Administration certified remote pilot and has flown hundreds of drone flight missions to accomplish high-accuracy land surveys and topographic mapping, hydrologic and built environment modeling and inspection, and land use/land cover analysis.
Julia Waszyn is a certified safety professional and a graduate of IUP with a BS in safety, health, and environmental applied sciences. She also participated in IUP’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Certificate program. She is currently the safety program manager with Allied Universal. Prior to this role, Waszyn has worked primarily in engineering and construction.