Could remote inspection become the norm?

Health facility professionals have only begun to see the options available to automatically inspect and test equipment and systems in health care facilities.

During the National Fire Protection Association’s 2018 NFPA Conference & Expo, Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah Al Nuaimi of the United Arab Emirates’ department of the interior and I presented on the remote inspection program currently being used in Abu Dhabi.

At this point, the program is used to document acceptance testing and commissioning using high-quality video recordings. The individuals performing the tests certify that the tests are performed in accordance with the applicable requirements, and the videos are submitted to the country’s civil defense for their review.

While not part of the current program, I questioned where this could lead. Is it possible that video imaging could be used in the future to compare the current conditions with the conditions at the time of acceptance as an alternative to someone walking the facility to visually inspect every device?

NFPA has started a new technical committee project on remote inspections. While the initial draft of the new document has not yet been developed, the scope will most likely address programs such as the one being used in Abu Dhabi.