Aerial support for mining, infrastructure, and environmental clients

Geosyntec can operate drones in airspaces across Australia to support our clients’ operations in mining, infrastructure, and environmental sectors. Our drone program enhances safety, efficiency, and data quality for construction monitoring (certification works), condition inspections, and site documentation.

Safety Considerations 

Geosyntec understands that our clients may have concerns about the safety of drone operations. To address our clients’ safety requirements and comply with airspace regulations, we have implemented a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)-approved remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) aligned with our HSEQ system.  

  • 1

    Regulatory and HSE compliance: Geosyntec has held a CASA-issued remotely piloted operator’s certificate (ReOC) since 2021 with no reportable incidents relating to our use of drones.  

    • All Geosyntec drone pilots hold remote pilot licences and operate within our CASA-approved RPAS.  
    • Our CASA-approved in-house chief remote pilot checks and approves all drone operations for compliance with airspace controls, our HSEQ system, and client requirements.   
  • 2

    Drone operations management system: The Geosyntec drone operations system is managed within the Aviation Compliance and Risk Management Software Solution (AVCRM). AVCRM is an auditable platform used to determine airspace requirements, undertake risk assessments, and document drone operations. A job safety analysis is completed within AVCRM for each drone operation to identify risks and corresponding controls associated with drone use.   

    We also use AVCRM to maintain other RPAS elements, including the following:  

    • Airspace checks and flight planning  
    • Risk assessments and job safety analysis (JSEA)  
    • Pre- and post-flight checklists  
    • Document control and approvals  
    • Maintenance tracking for drones and batteries  
  • 3

    Drone operations management system certification: Geosyntec has been audited and certified by the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) from the Flight Safety Foundation. The BARS system was developed for aviation operations in remote and challenging environments with BARS member organisations including Rio Tinto, BHP, Anglo-American, South 32, and the Australian Defence Force. The BARS program provides a risk-based standard that assists organisations in managing aviation activities with contracted aircraft operators. Geosyntec completed the audit in November 2023, with certification finalised in March 2024.

  • 4

    Client requirements: Before undertaking drone operations on-site, we will contact our clients and confirm their requirements for drone operations. Geosyntec will incorporate any client requirements into our drone operations.

  • 5

    Geosyntec HSEQ: The Geosyntec drone operations management system is incorporated into and supported by the Geosyntec HSEQ system. We align drone use with site-specific requirements and client safety protocols. Our emergency response plan (ERP) is CASA-reviewed and integrated into our RPAS documentation.

Capabilities & Applications 

Geosyntec drones support our Engineer of Record and construction certification services.  

Drones provide a rapid method to capture site conditions without needing personnel access.

 

Operational Advantages of Using Geosyntec Drones 

Within the general considerations described across this capability assessment, we can highlight the following operational advantages of drone use: 

  • 1

    Safety: Avoid personnel exposure to machinery and unstable terrain.

  • 2

    Efficiency: Rapidly capture data capture with reduced time on-site.

  • 3

    Documentation: Capture high-quality imagery for reporting, progress tracking and stakeholder communication.

  • 4

    Accessibility: Reach areas inaccessible by vehicle or foot.

  • 5

    Client Value: Enable supervisors and PMs to monitor work remotely.

Client Integration 

Geosyntec will tailor our capabilities to suit each client’s specific requirements and safety systems.  

Client-specific drone requirements will be reviewed and integrated into our operations plan before mobilisation. We incorporate client-specific guidelines into our flight planning and documentation.