TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH & SAFETY BECOMEIMMERSED
When it comes to workplace safety, a three-pronged approach is needed to keep staff safe and healthy: proactivity, protection and planning. Underpinning these three key pillars is excellent employee training. Your organisation might have first-rate protective equipment, watertight safety policies and flawless risk assessment, but these are worthless unless your workforce can execute the required actions to stay safe.
However, training has traditionally been a costly and time-consuming exercise for employers, especially if the workforce turns over rapidly or if situational hazards regularly evolve. But a whole host of new technologies designed to improve training efficiency and cut costs have begun to proliferate. Foremost amongst these exciting innovations is immersive training, including virtual reality (VR) training.
WHAT IS IMMERSIVE TRAINING? Immersive technologies integrate the real and virtual
world, with VR immersing users in a fully artificial digital environment or 360-degree video.
When participating in VR training, learners access a collection of bespoke simulations, hosted on a cloud- based platform, via a mobile phone, PC or headset. The simulation training is accompanied by debrief sessions with human instructors, and instant data- backed feedback on performance.
“IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATE THE REAL AND VIRTUAL WORLD, WITH VR IMMERSING USERS IN A FULLY ARTIFICIAL DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT OR 360-DEGREE VIDEO.”
Immersive training is currently being pioneered by major global companies — from Walmart to Accenture - and studies have shown that it can improve learning outcomes by 76% and knowledge retention by 230%.
WHY IS VR TRAINING BECOMING SO POPULAR? As hybrid and remote working becomes the norm,
employers are increasingly looking to adopt training tools that transcend barriers of time and space. Workers want on-demand access to training content, and they want to work for companies who prioritise and invest in training their staff in the most efficient, engaging and cutting-edge ways.
VR simulation training ticks all these boxes. As well as providing a low-pressure, effective, scalable, consistent way to train, they furnish learners with quantitative feedback on their performance and promote much higher engagement, therefore reducing the total number of training sessions required.
In a nutshell, offering excellent virtual training saves employers money because it’s infinitely scalable, replaces
twitter.com/TomorrowsHS
A host of new technologies designed to improve training efficiency and cut costs have begun to proliferate. Here, Dr Alex Young, Founder of Virti, takes a look at some of the innovations.
costly in-person training, improves staff retention and offers an accelerated path to competency.
HOW YOUR ORGANISATION CAN IMPLEMENT VR
TRAINING TO IMPROVE SAFETY It’s quick and easy for organisations to create and roll- out bespoke VR training content, requiring only basic tech know-how.
For example, to train new warehouse operatives how to navigate the floor safely and carry out their role whilst avoiding hazards, start by filming a 360-degree video of the same warehouse. In post-production, this can be overlaid with hover-over hazard ‘hot- spots’, pop-out instructions, interactive elements and multiple-choice scenarios. As part of the onboarding process, staff can access these simulations to remotely explore their new workplace. During the training, they are guided to identify and deal with hazards, learn SOPs and practice emergency procedures. When they eventually enter the warehouse in real life for their shift, they’ll already feel comfortable in the knowledge of how to orient themselves and stay safe.
It’s not just practical safety measures that can be taught with the aid of VR simulation. Mental wellbeing skills, from mindfulness to resilience, are also commonly taught in virtual reality.
CASE STUDY: TRAINING HGV DRIVERS TO
CARRY OUT VEHICLE SAFETY CHECKS In the winter of 2021, HGV companies were in the midst of an industry crisis. Following the perfect storm of Brexit, Covid-19, and fuel shortages, driver shortages were spiralling. They needed to train new recruits quickly and effectively, so they could get onto the roads safely but without incurring huge costs for companies.
Along came an exciting opportunity for immersive training company, Virti, to partner with HGV training company Easy As HGV to improve their safety training process through the use of fully immersive VR simulations and 360-degree video content.
In just a few weeks, we created a programme of VR simulations to make it easier for candidates to learn and practise some of the core safety skills required to acquire their HGV licence. Learners were guided through walkaround pre-drive safety checks, the process for coupling and uncoupling the cab and load, and how to carry out reversing manoeuvres. The use of VR tech accelerated the pace of training whilst improving the learners’ safety-related skills.
Every organisation stands to benefit from embracing proven technologies to drive efficiencies and safety in the workplace. So why not get ahead of the curve and explore the benefits of VR safety training today?
www.virti.com 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
