The risk involved in work at height makes it important to use all available tools to prevent accidents. One of these tools is virtual reality, which has recently been introduced to enhance and strengthen fall protection trainings.
The accidents and falls of workers reflect the need to reinforce training for work at height with all available means.
According to the Spanish Government, there were 26,115 work-related accidents due to falls from heights in 2022 just in Spain. Out of these falls, 775 were considered serious accidents, more than two per day.
Additionally, there were 75 fatal falls from heights. This means that 75 people lost their lives while performing their work at height. Fall protection training is crucial to try to reduce these figures.
Work-related accidents are a scourge that causes thousands of deaths worldwide every year. Incorporating resources such as virtual reality into training for jobs at heights can make a difference.
Virtual reality reproduces real-life environments and situations in simulations, in which the user is completely immersed. By wearing VR goggles, the immersion is complete, and the user experiences realistic sensations while interacting.
Applied to fall protection training, this technology allows living realistic experiences and practicing safety protocols in virtual environments. The trainer places the employee at a virtual work at height, such as a roof, a platform, or a crane, and the employee must protect themselves adequately.
In virtual reality training, workers train their decision-making skills. For example, they must select appropriate personal protective equipment, such as fall protection systems. If they do not use the correct PPE, they may experience an accident first-hand, such as a fall from height.
This realistic component of virtual reality takes the theoretical part of training for work at height to the next level. The possibility of making mistakes and experiencing virtual accidents enhances knowledge retention and awareness.
In other words, if an employee sees how choosing the wrong PPE causes a fall, they will be less likely to make the same mistake. This allows the practical part of the fall protection training to be developed effectively and raises employees' awareness of the dangers.
In addition to raising workers' awareness, the realism of the simulations helps to detect if they suffer from problems such as acrophobia or fear of heights. Detecting these types of variables before sending an employee to work at height can protect their life.
There are other benefits of using Ludus' virtual reality platform for providing training for jobs at heights. Ludus' simulation collects useful data on usage and performance to determine if employees have mastered the training content.
Are you interested in incorporating virtual reality into your training for jobs at heights or using other simulations from our catalog? Contact us for more information.