Launch of New Accreditation Area on Building Façade Inspection using Drones under IB Scheme

12 JUL 2023

Launch of New Accreditation Area on Building Façade Inspection using Drones under Inspection Body Scheme

SAC is pleased to expand our accreditation scheme for Inspection Bodies to include Building Façade Inspection using Drones, effective from July 12, 2023.

The new accreditation area, which provides assurance for inspections carried out by competent drone service providers and inspection companies for building façade inspections, will be recognized by the Building Construction Authority (BCA) for their periodic façade inspection regime. The utilization of drones for various on-site operations has been increasingly observed across many industries. In the context of building façade inspection, drones combined with relevant data analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can yield benefits such as improved productivity by quickly capturing and analyzing images of façade defects. Moreover, this technology can enhance workplace safety by reducing the need for inspectors to conduct physical inspections in high-risk environments.

Interested applicants will undergo assessment based on ISO/IEC 17020:2012, along with the following Technical References and SAC document, under the accreditation scheme for Inspection Bodies:

  • TR 78-1 - Building Facade Inspection using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
  • TR 78-2 - Specification for Quality Management and Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • SAC Technical Note: FI 01 – Specific Requirements for the Accreditation of Inspection Bodies in Building Façade Inspection using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

The application for accreditation is now open through SAC’s Accreditation Management portal, SACiNet.