The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the application of Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (“HSB”), part of Munich Re, to fly drones to help customers identify exposures, manage risks, and prevent loss.

HSB received an exemption from the FAA to allow commercial operations of small unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”). HSB said in a statement that it will use UAS with a property owner's consent to inspect locations that may be inaccessible or unsafe for a personal inspection to support its insurance claim and underwriting activities.

“Drones can save time and money when inspecting properties that are spread out such as thousands of panels on a solar power farm covering many acres,” said Jay Jablonski, vice president of HSB Professional Loss Control. “When equipped with sensor technologies, such as visual and infrared cameras, they give our engineers an efficient and powerful tool to analyze risks and system performance.”