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April 5, 2018

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How virtual reality is helping to revolutionise health and safety training

The world of health and safety training is transforming, and it’s all down to the introduction of virtual reality (VR) technology.

There’s only so much employees can learn from notes, PowerPoint presentations, and diagrams, which is where VR comes in. It allows you to put your workers into realistic scenarios that you couldn’t replicate in real life, so you can train them to deal with certain hazards and react to dangerous situations.

VR-based training programmes are already being used by a whole host of companies in a wide range of different industries. So, if you’re thinking about upgrading your training facilities with this emerging technology, now is a great time to make that leap. But, just in case you aren’t totally convinced yet, we’re going to talk you through some of the main benefits of training your staff using VR. Read on to find out more.

It’s more engaging than some traditional forms of training

If your staff prefer to learn through hands-on experience, it’s unlikely they’ll find taking notes from a textbook or PowerPoint presentations particularly exciting. This is where VR stands head and shoulders above more traditional forms of health and safety training: it’s incredibly engaging, as it allows you to put your staff in real-life and potentially hazardous situations, but with no risk of harm. This provides the perfect environment for them to learn how to deal with certain problems before they’re required to do so on the job.

Ben Bennet, managing director at VR training provider Luminous Group, told us: “Getting staff to engage with health and safety training can be challenging, especially when you’re working with people from a younger generation. One of the best ways to drive engagement, adoption, and best practice is by using the latest technologies, which is why the power of VR is being harnessed by so many businesses already.

“The engagement levels of VR training programmes are second to none due to the nature of them. As the user is completely immersed in a virtual environment and essentially shut off from the real world, they have no option but to give the job at hand their full attention. As a result, tasks are typically learned much quicker, and information is retained for longer. So, if you often find that your employees struggle to engage with your current training programme, VR could be the way forward. ”

It allows you to create real-life situations in a safe environment

The main benefit of VR training is that you can put your employees in situations that you couldn’t recreate in real life without putting them in danger. This is great for when you want to teach them what to do when a hazard occurs, so they know exactly how to react if it does actually happen in the workplace.

This is far more effective than giving your employees a PowerPoint presentation or textbook about the dangers they might encounter on the job. Instead, you can show them exactly what could happen, and teach them the best way to react. This way, you’ll be sending your staff back into the workplace with the practical and applicable skills they need to keep themselves and others safe.

It can be done remotely, saving time and money

If you have employees scattered all over the country, or even all over the globe, VR training can make it much easier for you to provide everyone with the appropriate training. And, if you regularly spend a lot on getting your workers together for training sessions, it could even save you a great deal of money.

The beauty of VR is that once you’ve arranged for all of the necessary training materials to be created, you can use them time and time again. Plus, the technology and training materials can be used anywhere, meaning your employees can access the information they need, wherever in the world they may be.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your health and safety training programme using VR, now is a great time to do so. It’s far more engaging than teaching your staff using a PowerPoint presentation, allows you to create real-life situations in a safe environment, and can even save you time and money.

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