Turning to virtual reality for safety training

Publicerad: 28 april, 2021

Using innovative 360-degree virtual reality (VR) technology, Morrison Utility Services (MUS), a part of M Group Services, has joined forces with behavioural safety specialists, 360safe VR, to develop and produce pioneering training films that can be viewed via VR headsets. 

The introduction of the 360-degree VR training is designed to complement the existing blend of behavioural safety training methods deployed across MUS. The technology provides participants with the benefit of immersive and engaging training sessions that place the viewer in authentic, ‘high-risk’ occupational scenarios, with no danger to themselves or others. 

A pioneering VR content synchronisation app enables the VR films to be controlled and monitored from a central console to up to 8 individual VR headsets. The films are developed in-house using MUS people in scripted behavioural safety scenarios. 

Paul Kerridge, Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Director, commented: “Participants will feel as though they have genuinely experienced the scenario which is a highly-effective way to deliver powerful behavioural change.” 

Andy Carter, Director of IT, Innovation and Improvement, said: “This use of VR technology provides a good example of the important role that innovation plays in our training strategy. The creation of VR training films will enable us to raise awareness and understanding of difficult, but extremely important, safety themes by placing our people in an authentic, engaging and completely safe virtual environment. The solution also provides the capability to run site-specific pre-training surveys, followed by post-training surveys, to measure changes in understanding and attitudes to important areas such as site safety and occupational road risk.” 

Trenchless Works Issue 175 March 2021