Highlights:
- OSH VR training is changing the way we train with realistic simulations of complex scenarios without putting staff and equipment at risk
- Train behavioral habits into the staff to prevent costly and sometimes even fatal mistakes with VR scenarios and modules that can be built to mimic real-life situations
- The Flexibility of the virtual world: Create Reusable, cost-effective, easily modified and expandable Training regiment based on your needs
Simulate everything…
…this is the idea behind Virtual Reality simulations where one can be immersed into a world of our own creation and experience scenarios and situations that are either theoretical or probable in nature. To simplify this, VR allows for training in situations that would be difficult or too complex to perform in real life.
So for example, you wish to train your staff members in the proper use of volatile equipment or substance, the item might be of high value and not something that you could risk in a trial environment with unskilled staff, so the solution in his case would be to create a VR training simulator and have your staff train in VR using it.
Enterprise industries have recognized VR as an effective tool for simulating complex designs and ideas but recently it has taken a new approach to the use of VR technology by means of its application in the area of safety and security training.
This new option is not meant to replace conventional hands-on training or instruction by in-person trainers, but it can be a beneficial tool used to supplement traditional forms of training.
For instance, in a construction environment, one can brush up on inspecting the hardware components of a full-body harness for proper working order, including buckles, straps, etc. then based on a flexible schedule, employees can learn how to visually inspect webbing, including being able to identify frays, cuts, tears, burns, holes and any other damage that can compromise the harness’s integrity and ability to serve its purpose, this is especially important in mining environments.
Then, based on their individual findings, they will learn when to take the harness out of service, if necessary. Being set in a realistic environment, these randomly generated tests can be used to practice and improve important inspection skills.
OSH VR: training at fifteen-stories up
Creating physical construction simulations has so many limitations. Try finding a training facility that can accommodate a fifteen-story superstructure, swinging tons of steel with an enormous crane, or pouring thousands of pounds of cement footing.
Simulating the actual hazards and results of following (or not following) safety procedures are one powerful advantage.
This allows for the practice of most, if not all, of the hazardous activities that a worker will be expected to perform in accordance with the project plan. Also, they can practice these assignments under the same working conditions they will experience on the job site. A learning record can help bring their peace of mind since all the results are recorded and available whenever they need them.
And this is just one scenario or one industrial sector, there are many more that can be sites for the construction industry and just as many if not more when we move on to other sectors, just as in pharmacy and medicine.
OSH VR: training to Saving lives
If we switch over to the healthcare and medical sector, we will find that Virtual Reality safety training offers several significant benefits to staff training. First, as research has shown, VR has a very strong and lasting impact on people’s behaviors. By making people see the immediate consequences of correct or incorrect behavior, you create visual and physical memory of actions and reactions.
Quick notes: Since it is an immersive experience and different from conventional classroom-based training, VR lends itself to help increase retention levels of the information delivered during training sessions. Plus, the unlimited number of repetitions made possible by the technology means that a worker can continue to strive for perfection and this would immediately be carried over to an actual increase in job performance.
Virtual Reality training also allows you to prepare people for critical situations without actually putting their patients or themselves in danger. Thus, for example, you can train employees better for identifying and providing the correct critical treatment in accidents or events of multiple casualties.
Another great opportunity in the context of healthcare is to show physicians and nurses how things work from “within”. This could be relevant to biological mechanisms, as well as medical interventions and equipment.
In addition, Virtual Reality safety training can reduce the cost of healthcare training. It may save travel costs to other locations (e.g. a simulation center), reduce the operational costs of physical training facilities and equipment, and allow more people to be trained repeatedly and remotely with marginal extra cost.
The fact that actions in Virtual Reality can be recorded and used for reviewing, debriefing and reporting offer new opportunities for healthcare training data analytics and insights.
Switch and repeat
OSH VR training incorporating a virtual reality module with live-presenter, online, and simulation training allows adult learners to experience hazardous real-world situations without facing any of the inherent dangers, this can be said to be an advantage in VR professional Skills training.
For example, to prepare for working in a confined space like that found in a Space Capsule or in an underwater trench, using some of the more mainstream VR safety training app like 360immersive, txsafetybox, quytech and others, will enable the trainee to actually see and hear everything ahead, behind, to the right, the left, above, below, and every point of the compass in-between.
An even better point to make here in favor of OSH VR training is that the technology and simulations are reusable plus easily modified.
While it might take a few hours or days to reset a physical simulation, not even talking about the cost, it takes a few seconds to restart a VR training simulation and, in some cases, you can have it running concurrently for multiple users. Some advanced simulations have the ability for workers to function as a unit to better grasp the team dynamics needs to safety carry out certain tasks.
