Virtual Reality (VR) is already being used to enhance occupational safety and health training. The use of this technology in prevention helps to train and prevent one of the main causes of occupational accidents: human errors.
Human errors, the main cause of occupational accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), human error is behind 80 to 80% of occupational accidents. Furthermore, this organization states that 99% of accidents that occur year after year are preventable.
Occupational accident statistics reflect the importance of working on reducing human errors in risk prevention. The number of cases continues to rise: in 2022, there were 653,510 occupational accidents in Spain, an 871% increase from 2021.
Another cause for concern is the severity of these accidents. Of the total accidents recorded in Spain in 2022, 3,957 were considered serious. Enhancing aspects such as the prevention of human errors can help reduce these numbers.
However, severity reaches its peak in the numerous cases of fatal accidents. In 2022, there were 716 fatal accidents, a 17% increase from the previous year. This means that, on average, about two people die in Spain every day while performing their duties.
As for human errors, there are a series of factors that cause these phenomena leading to thousands of accidents.
Factors or causes of human errors in occupational accidents
- Boredom with repetitive tasks.
- Lack of motivation or knowledge.
- Physical or mental fatigue of the worker.
- Distraction.
- Familiarity with the task or routine, which decreases the perception of immediate danger.
- Low confidence.
- Lack of refreshment in safety and health training, leading to forgetting certain rules or protocols.
- Low perception of the seriousness of the consequences of an error.
As we mentioned, virtual reality technology helps overcome many of these human error factors. This occurs thanks to the potential of this technology to increase workers' awareness.
Virtual Reality to 'train' and prevent human errors
Boredom, lack of motivation, poor perception of danger... most of these factors result in a lack of attention that causes human errors. Therefore, they can be combated through effective awareness and sensitization of employees to danger.
Virtual reality recreates realistic environments or situations in immersive simulations. In other words, this technology allows facing difficult or dangerous situations that are hard to replicate in real life.
We would never think of exposing a worker to a fall from a roof to raise awareness of the use of harnesses and fall protection systems. However, with VR, we can make them experience the same situation without actually endangering their lives.
By putting on the goggles, employees experience a realistic first-person view, guided and configured by the trainer. This tool allows visualizing and experiencing the consequences of human errors to enhance awareness.
Experiencing a virtual amputation for not using the right gloves, suffering electrocutions, burns, accidents... Ludus simulations help raise awareness among workers in numerous areas. Seeing firsthand how human errors translate into serious accidents helps not lower one's guard in real life.
Awareness is key in the fight to reduce human errors that cause hundreds of occupational accidents every year.
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