The challenge: Innovating in occupational health and safety to revitalise training and reduce workplace accidents
FEMEVAL
An employers’ organisation that represents and supports the most innovative companies in the metal industry, trade and services sector in the province of Valencia.
Alejandro Soliveres
General Secretary of FEMEVAL
There are nothing but benefits, as it enables realistic training, enhances learning, facilitates real-time interaction with the environment, helps people understand the consequences of their actions, and reduces accidents and costs – both human and financial.
The solution: An immersive, multi-tasking simulation platform using virtual reality
At Innoarea, we have developed a cutting-edge simulated training platform for FEMEVAL that is compatible with the leading VR headsets on the market. The solution enables workers to experience, in first-person perspective, everyday and critical scenarios such as the use of workshop machinery (presses, lathes, welding), maintenance tasks at height, or fire evacuations.
Thanks to this high level of immersion and interaction, the operator experiences the consequences of their actions and even ‘suffers virtual accidents’ as a result of poor decisions. This facilitates knowledge retention and significantly deeper learning. Furthermore, the system includes an assessment module to monitor performance and integrate new use cases.
A faster learning curve compared to face-to-face lessons
Improved safety for employees whilst carrying out their day-to-day tasks
Increased levels of concentration and attention during training
- Interactive practical sessions involving the use of PPE when operating radial lathes, presses, lathes, welding equipment and milling machines
- Touch controllers for precise interaction with virtual tools
- Simple module selection system that analyses the worker’s processes
- Assessment module and error attribution integrated into each scenario
Key findings
The roll-out of the immersive simulation platform has marked a milestone in FEMEVAL’s training activities, resulting in employees being 3.75 times more emotionally engaged with the content. By experiencing risks first-hand in a safe environment, the usual distractions found in physical classrooms are eliminated, leading to a significant increase in the retention of safety protocols.
The autonomy and confidence gained during virtual training sessions translate directly into a drastic reduction in errors and inappropriate behaviour in real-world workplaces. This optimises operational and labour costs in the metallurgical sector, positioning FEMEVAL and its member companies at the forefront of workplace safety and technological innovation.
