Newsletter CURPAS 2. Quartal 2019 von Dr. Frank Fuchs

Last week was announced under https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/news/2019-05-24-rules-operating-drones_en the adaption of the European Drone Regulation.

While these regulations are now being implemented and thus define, when and how a UAV – flight should be performed, more and more the question arises about the current state of technology. In addition to the regulative versions of the European Commission (EC) is at the moment the responsible European Standadization Body ASD-STAN (D05/WG08 UAS Unmanned Aircraft System ) in the process of defining the actual state of technology and thus to develop Standards and Norms.

Those for a safe operation required norms are presently developed for the following sections: Design, Operation, Classification etc. This is why it is so important, that those companies who will use UAV, are in a position to fulfill with this system a legal safe operation.
In case a damage shall be triggered with this UA-System, now it can be proofed, that the operating company complied with the valid standards and safety margins. Furthermore here can also be made an allocation within the company covering the required qualifications and requirements up to the entire and complete Drone Departments of the company.

Non- compliance with standards can have serious consequences. A well-known and very famous example is a falling -down of a suspended ceiling during construction and/or refurbishing of buildings. In case of not using standardized dowels, which are exactly qualified for such kind of work, it may occure, that serious injuries may happen to those persons, who are under the ceiling which is falling down at this moment.
The resulting court cases are causing expenses at an unacceptable level. By comparison, the cost for the standardized dowels would have been, possibly by far, amortized.

The drone technologie is fairly new. Therefore it is very important to provide a safe legal operated UAV service and to ensure this thru standards. In case of an audit or court case damages can be avoided by the company itself. Especially Standards are very usefull for preventive Health and safety management.
The European standards are planned for the end of this year.