Abstract

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology is evolving rapidly, lowering cost and technology barriers to use in many applications. This review and commentary summarizes the relevant literature in related fields and assesses the potential applications and utility of UAS technology in the occupational health field. Areas closely related to industrial hygiene are investigating potential applications and in some cases already using this technology for research or commercial purposes. The literature is screened to produce a cross-section of how UAS technology is used in these closely related fields and can inform or guide potential uses in industrial hygiene. We discuss UAS applications in environmental monitoring, emergency response, epidemiology, security, and process optimization. The rapidly evolving state-of-the-art shows that this technology can be useful in industrial hygiene. Benefits include cost savings,time savings, and remote sensing to avoid hazardous environments. The occupational health community can look to relevant areas for insights and apply them to their own practice.