What is the probability of serious accidents occurring in a company? The statistics from Ludus' virtual reality training platform provide objective information to anticipate workplace accidents. In half of the VR-based accident prevention courses focusing on hand safety, students experience virtual finger amputations due to their mistakes.
Finger or hand amputations are extremely serious workplace accidents. In 2022, there were nearly 600 upper limb amputations in workplace accidents in Spain. In Mexico, according to Industrial Safety, there were over 2,500 work-related accidents resulting in hand amputations in 2020.
More than 2,400 virtual finger amputations in trainings of 2023
In the 4,838 instances of angle grinder changes configured in 2023 using the VR simulation for hand accidents, 2,425 workers forgot to disconnect the grinder. This mistake leads to a serious accident resulting in finger amputations, allowing the learner to witness the consequences of reckless behavior.
Virtual reality in hand injury prevention training
Virtual Reality (VR) reproduces real-life scenarios and situations through immersive simulations. Users immerse themselves in the simulation and experience realistic situations firsthand, gaining knowledge through experiential learning.
Applied to preventive training, this technology allows for the configuration and training of risky situations without real danger. Workers learn to protect themselves properly, for example by wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), while experiencing sensations and making decisions during training.
Ludus' hand injury simulation offers additional advantages, such as the ability to make mistakes that in reality would result in accidents. Workers can experience a virtual accident firsthand to raise awareness about the importance of safety procedures:
- Accidents caused by using defective tools, such as a splintered hammer.
- Cuts from using a pillar drill without appropriate protective measures.
- Burns, cuts, and other accidents from not using protective equipment.
- Finger amputations from attempting to change the disc of an angle grinder without unplugging it.
Among other benefits, experiencing firsthand how an error leads to a serious accident helps prevent it from happening in real life. This is why virtual reality technology helps enhance employees' awareness in risk prevention.
Statistics of the hand injury prevention simulation in 2023
In 2023, a total of 4,738 exercises were conducted using Ludus' hand accident prevention simulation. The total hours of platform usage by users amounted to 496, with an average of between 4 and 5 minutes per exercise.
Errors resulting in virtual finger amputations occurred in half of the exercises
As we mentioned, out of the total exercises, up to 4,838 risk situations were configured involving the changing of an angle grinder disc. The error of not disconnecting the angle grinder occurred in 2,425 of these situations. In other words, approximately half of the trained workers made this mistake, resulting in virtual finger amputations.
The correct procedure to prevent virtual accidents began with wearing the appropriate protective gloves. Next, the trained worker should disconnect the angle grinder and proceed to change the disc.
Considering the severity of an accident like amputation, the data leads to a clear conclusion. It's important to reinforce the attention to detail of workers during training, especially when working with dangerous tools like angle grinders. Emphasizing this point can prevent real finger and hand amputations from occurring.
Errors in the placement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The statistics from the Ludus platform allow for the extraction of objective information regarding such trends and risks. There are other examples of identified hazards, such as the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In the VR training sessions of 2023, 58% of workers made errors by not wearing the appropriate PPE.
In 2022, there were over 100,000 workplace accidents involving hands during the workday in Spain. In Mexico, one-fourth of workplace accidents affect the wrists and hands of workers. It is essential to utilize all available resources, such as objective information in the form of statistics, for the prevention of these incidents.
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