Introduction to VR Safety Training

When it comes to safety, there is no such thing as too much training. And when it comes to industrial and construction work, that training can be difficult and dangerous. That’s where virtual reality comes in.

Virtual reality is becoming an integral part of facilitating workplace safety. Not only do companies have OSHA rules and regulations by which to avoid, they also have a vested interest in keeping their employees and workplace safe.

VR technology can be used as a training tool to create a realistic and safe virtual environment in which workers can train for various scenarios. For example, a worker who needs to learn how to operate a forklift can do so in a virtual reality simulator without ever having to leave the ground.

Not only is virtual reality training more efficient and cost-effective, it’s also much safer. By eliminating the need for actual field work, workers can avoid dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations.

So if you’re looking for a better, safer way to train your workers, look no further than virtual reality safety training, the future of occupational safety.

Why VR Training?

VR helps employees prepare for situations they are likely to face on the job. Then, they can experience how their actions affect outcomes in a completely safe environment. By reducing the upfront risk, VR education and training lowers the pressure and gives employees confidence that to perform their tasks safely. The real-life feeling of training experiences helps them feel more engaged and connected. Because of this hands-on nature, trainees often find VR training to actually be more engaging than other health and safety training courses, such as in-person or e-learning.

In addition, the VR experience in training can:

• Help organizations reduce the cost of training across their locations and workforce
• Streamline training modules while keeping them engaging and consistent

• Ensure delivery of effective training as the sensory combination of VR training can increase knowledge retention
• Improve emergency response during hazard or safety scenarios as employees will be better prepared

VR Works

Jeremy Bailenson is Stanford University’s Human Interaction Lab’s founding director. In his book, Bailenson describes “presence” or “psychological presence,” which he defines as “that peculiar sense of ‘being there’ unique to virtual reality.” (source:Health and Safety Magazine.)

This presence is achieved by involving the body and the mind to interact with a virtual world, similar to how they would do in the real world. It is this combination that helps create such a memorable and immersive training experience.

According to Health and Safety magazine, researchers from the University of Maryland asked participants to remember the locations of famous faces in two virtual locations: a room in a palace and a medieval town. The participants used a desktop computer and a VR head-mounted display while going through the exercises. When using the VR headset, the participants had a nearly 9% higher overall recall accuracy compared with using the computer.

VR Application in Safety Training

More industries are implementing VR for their training needs to find that the virtual world provides a more effective classroom that traditional training.

Below are some industries that are leveraging platforms like Avatour to facilitate employee training.

• Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC): can use virtual reality training to teach employees about site protocols for constructions sites that may be dangerous.
• Manufacturing: operating heavy machinery, identifying workplace hazards, and following OSHA protocols are key elements in reducing risk in manufacturing.
• Pharmaceutical and Healthcare can utilize virtual reality training to help workers understand laboratory or health protocols and practice in a safe environment.

Meet Avatour

Avatour is helping businesses redefine their operations by reducing distance as a barrier to collaboration. Our 360-degree remote collaboration platform allows users to join virtual tours, trainings, and inspections via web browser or VR device.

Using off-the-shelf 360-degree hardware, collaborators, employees, stakeholders and more can meet face-to-face wherever they are in the world, all while gaining a complete understanding of a given physical environment.

Virtual meetings can be joined via modern web browser. This includes (desktop, smartphone, iOS, android, etc) or via VR headset for an even more immersive experience.